Hi, I'm Nana Schlaefke-Ong Integrative Counsellor & Coach
I am the founder of The Intercultural Space providing integrative counselling and coaching based in Amsterdam, both online and in-person.
With a Master's in Counselling from Monash University and clinical experience spanning individual, couple, and family work, I bring both therapeutic depth and real-world perspective, shaped by 15 years of leadership in global mobility and 26 years of lived expat experience.
I specialise in supporting expats navigating relocation and cross-cultural transitions, couples working through connection and communication, and families raising Third Culture Kids. As a parent of two Third Culture Kids, I understand this journey from the inside. I work with clients privately, through Employee Assistance Programmes, and with organisations invested in the workforce mental health care.
I meet you with emotional resonance and practical clarity, bringing a curious mind and an unwavering presence to our work.
My Story
When you live abroad, finding the right counsellor can be harder than it seems. Local practitioners may be skilled, but without shared experience of what it means to uproot a life, something can get lost in translation. Not always, but often enough.
That belief was shaped by something personal. When my son struggled during a posting abroad, the counselling we found was transactional and indifferent, it left us more alone than before. That experience changed me. In 2017 I pursued my Master's in Counselling with one goal in mind: to be the counsellor with compassion and presence who makes you feel genuinely met.
Originally from Malaysia and shaped by 26 years across 8 countries, I understand what it means to rebuild yourself somewhere new, again and again. For the international community, finding a counsellor who truly understands your experience, not just your circumstances, can make all the difference.
I bring both clinical training and lived intercultural experience to this work, which means I understand not just the theory of what you are going through, but the texture of it.
I am fluent in English, Malay, and Cantonese (mother tongue). I can manage conversational Mandarin, Thai and basic German.
Credentials
Master of Counselling, Monash University, Australia
BBA, University of Southern Queensland, Australia
Professional Supervision, Australian Counselling Association (ACA)
Art and Science of Coaching, Erickson Coaching International
Psychedelic Practitioner Training, Experiential Training Institute, Netherlands
Member of NFG (Dutch Health Care Federation)
+31 6 27058012
info@interculturalspace.com
Kvk No: 98692259
Copyright © 2026 The Intercultural Space
Brouwersgracht 167-4,
1015 GH Amsterdam,
The Netherlands