Finding Hope in Dark Times: Hendrika de Vries' Journey of Courage and Healing
About this episode
Hendrika de Vries shares her inspiring journey of courage and healing from wartime Amsterdam to becoming a family therapist in the United States.
In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam during World War II, young Hendrika de Vries witnessed extraordinary courage. Her family hid a Jewish child in their home, and she watched her mother join the Dutch Resistance and withstand interrogation at gunpoint after the child was discovered and taken away. These experiences would shape a lifetime devoted to resilience, hope, and helping others find their strength. Hendrika's remarkable journey spans continents and generations. From her childhood in wartime Holland to her teenage years as an immigrant and champion swimmer in 1950s Australia, and later as a young wife and mother in the turbulent United States of the 1960s, her life story is one of perseverance, adaptation, and purpose. As a young swimming instructor in Australia, Hendrika experienced a defining moment when she helped a boy whose legs had been paralyzed by polio learn to trust his upper body and move through the water. Watching him discover his own strength revealed a calling that would eventually lead her to become a family therapist in the United States. Today, Hendrika de Vries is a retired family therapist, teacher, and writer with a background in theology and depth psychology…
More episodes of Never Ever Give Up Hope
- From Setbacks to Strength: Andy Campbell's 15 Core Beliefs for Resilience
- How to Have Hope When There is No Hope
- How to Have Hope When There is No Hope
- From Behind the Iron Curtain to a Career with the United Nations
- How to Cope Through Pain: Shigeko Ito on Complex PTSD and Family Healing
- Strong Leadership Demands that You Never Start with WHY - Start with WHO
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Never Ever Give Up Hope podcast page.