🌿 The Story Behind U Collective
U Collective began with a simple but urgent truth: many international students in the Netherlands need mental health support — but can't always afford it.
As psychologists and counselors working with students and professionals, we kept hearing the same things:
“I feel anxious, but therapy is too expensive.”
“I don’t know who to talk to, and I’m far from home.”
“I don’t want to wait three months just to feel heard.”
So in 2025, we created U Collective — a student-focused social enterprise offering subsidized, English-speaking therapy and counseling for international students and recent graduates. Our goal is to make mental health care accessible, professional, and stigma-free for those who need it most.
🧠 A Collective Effort
We're building a growing network of licensed psychologists and certified counselors who share a passion for helping students navigate university life, identity shifts, stress, burnout, and everything in between.
Whether you're far from home, struggling with academic pressure, or just not feeling like yourself — U Collective offers a place to pause, process, and feel supported.
🚀 What's Next
As demand grows, so will we. Our next milestone is to partner with universities, community organizations, and donors who believe in what we do — so we can support even more students at lower cost.
Our vision is clear: Help us help you.
By working together, we can break down barriers and make mental health support part of the student experience — not a luxury outside of it.
Meet The Team
Hello, I’m Shaheen—a certified counselor in the Netherlands and a former teacher. I’m passionate about supporting people through life’s challenges, with a special focus on trauma recovery, stress management, and family or relationship issues.
Through my private practice, Restore & Rise Counselling, I provide counselling sessions that combines empathy with practical strategies to help clients heal, grow, and build resilience.
Having been both a student and a teacher, I understand the unique pressures that come with university life—juggling academics, personal growth, and relationships all at once.
That’s why I offer my services to students at discounted rates. My goal is to create a safe, non-judgmental, supportive space where you can feel heard, understood, reflect and empowered to move forward with confidence—not just surviving your university years, but truly thriving in them.
I provide sessions online, in English.
Hi, I'm Georgiana — a licensed psychologist and therapist (NFG, NL), but also someone who spent years working across different countries, cultures, and careers before coming full circle to what I care about most: helping people feel seen, heard, and supported.
University life isn't always easy, especially when you're far from home and navigating big questions about identity, direction, or purpose. Whether it's anxiety, burnout, or the pressure to "figure it all out," I'm here to help you pause, reflect, and move forward with clarity — not judgment.
Through my private practice, MsPsychGV, I've worked with young professionals and students facing major transitions. At U Collective, I offer the same evidence-based supportive care — just at a student-friendly rate.
Sessions are tailored to you, not just what you're going through. I'm here to help you make sense of your experience — and remind you that you're not alone in it.
I work in English, online and in-person. In-person sessions are held on Wednesdays at Amsterdam Zuid (WTC).
U Collective is a student-focused mental health initiative offering affordable therapy for international students and recent graduates in the Netherlands. Sessions are conducted in English by a licensed psychologist or certified counselor.
@ 2025 U Collective - A MsPsychGV
Initiative
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