But my heart also strongly goes out to psychology and justice. 
In the past 7 years I was educated as a Voice Dialogue facilitator/therapist
(with trauma specialisation) and as a certified Confidential Counsellor.
I am delving into the latter topic: how to deal with misconduct in a work place,
and particularly…how to prevent this.
Personal experiences, those of sisters & brothers in the industry
and young musicians I have been coaching in the past decades, have inspired me
to take this road. The need for awareness and support is becoming more, and more, urgent.

The World of Music

Our beloved music world consists of a huge variety of organisations, reaching from small booking agencies to large festivals and conferences.
Because of our not-nine-to-five working days, traveling, hotel stays and frequent bar talks -all part of the job- the chances of human misconduct
are slightly higher than in other work areas. The lines between work and personal space get easily blurred.

How to deal with that?

In a nutshell, an employer should provide for a safe work space and ensure that an employee who
suffers from (sexual) intimidation, bullying, discrimination or aggression and violence is cared for.
It is also about integrity, protection of whistle blowers when it comes to theft, fraude and matters
that harm the organisation or the social interest.

Confidential Counsellor

An (external) Confidential Counsellor guides people with complaints about their interactions with others,
de-escalates, provides support (and if necessary) refers them to care providers, mediators, psychologists,
legal advisors, law enforcement or other experts. He or she contributes to improving the work
environment and helps de-escalate undesirable behavior. A confidential counselor clearly demonstrates
the potential impact of certain behavior on the organisation and contributes to recovery, connection,
and respectful interaction.
So, receiving, guiding and advising complainants/reporters.
Educating, informing and inspiring organisations.

Having been deeply involved with numerous, international cultural events and projects on many levels,
that led to a substantial network and decades of practical experience through human encounters
and collaborations, I believe I am a the designated person for this task/assignment.
‘I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now…’, so to say, but always see the silver lining.

What can I do for you?
Step by step….

• During a -live or online- meeting I elaborate and advise on the topic of Confidential Counselling
  in all its forms and appearances.
• I provide managers with advice and feedback on occupational safety within the company.
  We analyse your type of organisation/event and determine
  what road to take towards prevention and limitation of psychosocial work pressure.
• Together we compose a policy, a Code of Conduct that fits your organisation
  and we make this code visible for your employees and other professionals involved.
  This may include staff, freelance employees, performing artists,
  professional participants/delegates, students, volunteers and interns.
• We create a tailor made program, because one size does not fit all.
• In case of an event, we prepare visibility of the Confidential Counsellor well in advance and,
  of course, during the fair/festival/conference.
• If desired we can plan a meeting with your team to introduce them to the role of the
  ConfidentiaI Counsellor within the organisation they are involved with, if even on a project base.
  There is also the possibility for a presentation at the event itself during which we can start a
  dialogue with participants on
  how to implement a counsellor in various cultural organisations.
  Depending on the size of your event I can recommend and provide for a second certified counsellor to join in.
• I will be present, accessible and on call at established times during the whole time of the event
  and lend a non-judgemental ear to anyone in need of this.
• I will listen and stand by this person. If legal, psychological or mediational steps need to be taken
  I will be their guide. Never a judge, but a de-escalator, in a safe space.
  The caller is in charge. This also counts for someone who feels wrongly accused of misconduct.
• After the event I will provide a full report on all activities and -confidential- conversations that
  have taken place. There will be room for the management to meet and discuss the allover experience
  during the event, and to take steps towards changes in the organisational policy, if necessary.
• PS: I speak fluently Dutch, English and German.