About Maayke

Professional career:

I am Maayke van der Pluijm and I am fortunate to work as a sports psychologist and mental coach. I have more than 20 years of practical experience, supporting professionals, corporate teams and athletes to become sustainable high performers. My broad and deep experience in sport and corporate life, help me to relate to what athletes and professionals go through in their lives and during times of high pressure.

  • DAS Sport Psychology (UNIL – 2020)
  • Program MBSR – méditation de pleine conscience (2019)
  • Certified Personal Coach (International Coach Federation (ICF) – 2017)
  • Mental Game Coach (IMGCA – 2016)
  • Self-leadership and coaching (Université de Geneve, 2014) 
  • Neuro Linguistic Programming (2007)
  • MSc Psychology (Leiden University – 1999)

Sports career:

I have a strong passion for sport and have been practicing a wide variety of sports throughout my life, with a particular passion for mountaineering. I have climbed at a very advanced level (alpinism, ice climbing, rock climbing, high-altitude, ski-mountaineering) and executed long and serious alpine routes which required a lot of commitment, training and discipline.

Highlights: Piz Badile – Voie Cassin, Mont Blanc – North Face on skies, Grand Capucin (Voie des Suisses), Mt. Maudit – Arête Kuffner, Frendo Pillar (Aiguille du Midi), Traversée Aiguilles Rouges d’Arolla, diverse high-altitude climbs in the Himalaya’s.

I have a strong passion for endurance sports, specifically Triathlon.

Highlights: participation ETU Triathlon European Championships (representing NL in age-group 40-45), podium ITU Bristol Triathlon

I am also a passionate kite-surfer and love to be on the water.

My family:

I live with my husband and daughter of 14 in Coppet in Switzerland. We enjoy being in the mountains, skiing, hiking, kitesurfing and when possible we try to surf some waves. In spring and summer, I love to train for a triathlon. Spending time with my family and friends is very important to me.

Clients:

Athlete clients: I work with athletes from all ages and sports. I have specific experience with: alpine skiing, ski mountaineering, FWT (ski + snowboard), trail running, ultra-cycling, triathlon, marathon, BMX, Golf, tennis, judo, horse riding (jumping), karting, endurance car racing, F3 racing, handball, basketball, football, climbing,  athletics, parasports, football referees, sailing

Federations/clubs : I am a sport psychologist and mental coach for the Swiss Sailing Team and support the different Olympic classes to prepare for Paris 2024.

UEFA, UCI, UAE FA, TC Nyon, Nyon Basket feminin

Corporate and international clients (from 2007 – 2018): WWF, AkzoNobel, Océ, DSM, Polis Direct, ING, Canon Europe, Canon Netherlands, PwC, TMF Group, DVB Bank, AerCap, div. start ups

Teaching: CAS Préparation Mentale at Lausanne University, Formation des Entraineurs Suisse at Macolin

I am a professional member of Federation of Swiss Psychologists (FSP), Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and the International Mental Game Association (IMGCA).

Visit my LinkedIn profile for more details!

For Professionals

Maayke van der Pluijm - You Thrive

Vitality Coaching for a better life

Our world is fast and hyper-connected. Knowing how to carefully spend your mental and physical energy is the key to well-being and performance. When you feel happy and effective, you can have a positive and lasting impact on your life. The You-Thrive personalized coaching program will allow you to perform well, listening to your values while learning to respect yourself. We work on your physical, mental and emotional energy while focusing on the areas of your performance you would like to improve. Every coaching starts with an intake & energy assessment and, in case it’s needed, we work with other tools to support your development process (such as  MBTI & DISC). Click on the link for a more in-depth overview of steps in the proven and successful You Thrive Journey 2020.

For all types of people who:

  • Have a nagging sense that there is more
  • Feel stuck in life or professionally
  • Need inspiration to make a next step
  • Feel physically or mentally exhausted
  • Wish to develop themselves or get mentally and physically in better shape

Clients: professionals, entrepreneurs, parents, artists

TEAM and Leadership Development

Thriving teams are teams that have purpose, vitality and connection.

I support you in improving collaboration, developing team values, capitalising on each others’ strengths and capabilities, creating a shared vision and developing thriving teams. Throughout the years I developed successful team interventions and workshop approaches while making use of assessment tools, team building models and systemic interventions.

For teams that wish to:

  • Develop personal leadership
  • Collaborate better
  • Make better use of each others’ strengths and capabilities
  • Improve their communication

Clients a/o AkzoNobel (current), WWF, Océ, DSM, Polis Direct, ING, Canon Europe/ Netherlands, PwC, TMF Group, DVB Bank, AerCap, start ups

For Athletes

Mental Strength Training and Sports Psychology

I support all types of athletes of all different ages and levels to bring out the best in themselves. Whether you want to improve your performance, overcome an injury or need support with a specific problem or preparing a challenge, my commitment is to help you achieve your goals. Every coaching starts with an assessment to explore your development areas and, if needed, during coaching we will make use of tools and questionnaires.

Coaching can take place in my cabinet as well as over the phone, video call or in the field.

For athletes who want to:

  • Strengthen mental capacities to improve their overall performance
  • Learn how to use stress as a performance enhancer
  • Bridge the difference in performance between training and competition
  • Increase their self confidence
  • Understand their personal strengths and weaknesses
  • Better deal with all the aspects of life (training, school, social development, parents)
  • Prevent or deal with injuries
Maayke van der Pluijm

TEAM Development

Learn to understand the types of motivation and characters in the team and to enhance the overall team performance as well as the performance for the individual athlete. We will look at the individuals in the team and how to build a stronger team together. Learn to understand each other better, what drives us and how to optimise our well-being and performance as an individual as well as for the team.

For teams and coaches that wish to:

  • Optimise individual and team performance
  • Optimize team cohesion
  • Connect better as persons in order to improve performance
  • Communicate better
Maayke van der Pluijm

Special Projects

Are you dreaming of doing an Ironman, climb a mountain, run a marathon, ski the epic ‘Patrouille des Glaciers’?

Whether you are running your first 10K or planning to execute a project with a team, I am here to support you and prepare you mentally for the big day.

For individuals and teams that wish to:

  • Prepare themselves mentally for a big sportive challenge in their life
  • Build a stronger team and enhance performance and fun
  • Get better prepared and to be able to go beyond your limits

Coaching Trails

Nature As Portal For Self Development

Leave the road, take the trails… During a coaching trail, we will go into the Swiss Mountains and use nature as a portal for self-discovery and development. We will go on a 4-day hike with a maximum of 7 participants to switch off and get away from all the distraction of our daily life. We will use nature to look at ourself and to better understand who we are, what we want and where we are heading to. These trails are to support you to learn to re-open yourself and embrace your vulnerability. This will help you to lead the life you want and to support others to do the same. The trail can be organized for groups (for example a corporate or athlete team) and you can sign up individually.

The program consists of more than a 4-day hike. You invest into a 4-month personal development program consisting of 5 steps:

  • An intake session with the coach.
  • A workshop of half a day with the other participants. Together we prepare for the trail.
  • The mountain trail of 4 days.
  • The integration workshop two weeks after the trail.
  • A coaching session one month after the first workshop.

Click on the link for an example program Alpen Trail Program

Cabinet à Nyon 

Kenzen Centre Sàrl
Chemin des Saules 4A
1260 Nyon

Email: maayke@you-thrive.ch

Tel: +41795573272

Déclaration de protection des données

× How can I help you?