Esther Ates and Nathalie Heuts, two entrepreneurs from Tilburg, The Netherlands, developed a unique deck of cards together … and read their story here! Soul mates they are, Esther Ates and Nathalie Heuts. Both went through complicated childhoods and for years they searched for themselves in their own way, through therapies, among other things. And they both came out stronger. The women bring out the best in each other.
Nathalie’s story
Nathalie: “For many years I lived with fear (of anxiety) and panic attacks. Often I was able to hide it, but I came to a point where it couldn’t go on like this. I had to work on myself. Many therapies followed. Creative therapy allowed me to get closer to my feelings. This manifested itself, among other things, in making self-portraits as I learned to paint. Sometimes these were intense images with a deep bottom layer. I regularly wondered if other people would understand and fathom those images, their impact. Painting worked therapeutically for me. Because each stage of the healing process had a new form of creative expression, I also continued my therapeutic works in the form of mixed-media, collages and drawings.” In addition to creative art as a hobby, Nathalie worked for years as a secretary, but unfortunately she could not get the satisfaction she was looking for from that.
She now works as a consultant and designer of memorials, a job that perfectly suits her sensitivity, depth and creativity and from which she gets a lot of energy. The “chance” encounter with Esther Ates in early 2023 marked a new step in her life for Nathalie. The therapist saw in Nathalie’s works the valuable potential for a larger audience. Esther pulled her out of her (unconsciously) self-selected shadow into the light. “I learn a lot from Esther,” continued Nathalie. “I need someone to take me into being visible, because I still find it difficult to profile myself -especially to strangers- and to show what I have to share. Because Esther makes me feel how meaningful it is to share, I feel that I may begin to appeal to a wider audience. It seems like the “leftover” of my own healing. It’s no longer just about creating artworks with depth, but mostly about awareness. For years, visual touching has been my mission. It’s nice to be able to let people who are also going through processes look inside themselves in a visual way.”
As complicated as her healing process has been (and at times still is), Nathalie is glad she was able to experience it this way:
“I am grateful for everything. I have gone through deep valleys, but that is precisely why I can feel the euphoria so well. My process is the reason I can do what I do now: make soul images. Because that’s what they are, each image is born from the purity of the soul.”
And apparently this is catching on. There is a growing response from people who recognize themselves in Nathalie’s images. Therefore, this was also the right moment to start realizing Esther’s big dream: the deck of cards. “The soul images I was able to draw for the 50 cards in this deck are authentic and pure. The titles reinforce the image and conversely the drawings support the text on all themes. There is a rock-solid connection between our work, me with images and Esther in words and writing.” Both Nathalie and Esther firmly believe in destiny: not for nothing did they meet. Nathalie: “This collaboration had to be there. The universe has determined that for us. We really do the complete deck of cards together, we complement each other perfectly. One cannot do without the other. A unity. That gives me strength and support.” Jokingly, they both say, “We call this cosmic entrepreneurship.”
Esther’s story
For years, holistic trauma therapist Esther Ates has been successfully supporting clients who come to her practice Magistraal in Tilburg, The Netherlands, with physical, emotional or mental complaints such as stress, burn-out/bore-out, anxiety, panic attacks, relationship and/or behavioral problems, ‘vague’ physical complaints such as migraine headaches, nail biting, insomnia or feelings of gloom, loneliness and depression. Esther is convinced that past traumas invariably underlie problems experienced in contemporary life.
Esther: “Experience shows that many people who get stuck still find it difficult and exciting to seek professional help, thinking, ‘I’m not crazy, am I?’ Or they are afraid of the consequences: ‘What happens if I open that cesspool, can I handle that?’ Or … there are financial barriers. Or people have no social safety net so there is literally no room and they can’t get out on their own. The cards can then provide an initial entry point to insight and help. Not in all cases is a psychologist or therapist necessary in solving problems, and in the end you yourself are always the key to your own liberation…” From this conviction, the therapist came up with the fantastic idea a few years ago to develop a ‘self-help tool’ in the form of a card deck. “It had long been on my bucket list to make my own deck, but it takes a lot of time and energy, so I kept putting it off. Until last year when I drew a card deck myself that read: how do you want to be remembered later? What will you leave behind? Then I knew immediately: I’m going to fulfill my big dream right now!”
“As if it had to be like this, totally unexpectedly Nathalie Heuts came on my way, a warm woman with similar ambitions. I discovered that she makes amazing drawings, little works of art in black and white that match 100% with the look and feel of my practice and with what I stand for, namely experiencing contrasts in order to grow.” The two enterprising women from Tilburg joined forces and embarked on this unique cosmic project together. The result is now available in the form of a luxury card deck consisting of a chic box containing 50 beautiful cards that name and treat with 50 different themes. The new card deck is entitled: Light and Dark, moving through all layers to awareness, healing growth. On the back of the cards – they really are true works of art – are the title, subject and information and then an insight question and/or assignment. This allows one to work directly with themselves. Because of the way the texts are composed, the cards can be used as a tool by basically anyone, individuals or clients, as well as coaches, therapists, counselors and so on.
Esther: “I am a big fan and collector of card decks and now I own more than 50 different ones. I always end sessions in my practice with ‘drawing a card’. .
Mijn cliënten weten dat en vinden het prettig.
Vaak zijn ze verrast en onder de indruk van de boodschap!
De kaarten werken op energetisch en intuïtief niveau zonder dat het zweverig is. Think of such a card as a guide that can support you and get you on your way or give you confirmation. For people who find it difficult to express themselves, a card can provide an excellent opening. Often the card sets something in motion. One becomes aware of issues related to one’s personal situation in a simple way. Topics come up that are “familiar” and others that one has not yet thought about in that way, such as about awareness, personal growth or healing. Cards often summarize the process a person is in the middle of, give food for thought or confirm what you already know and feel deep inside. And sometimes that is also confronting.”
Esther emphasizes that trauma is unfortunately still a loaded topic, one that is taboo. “With trauma people quickly think of heavy, big things like war experiences, disasters or sexual abuse. But trauma is so much more! It is also unprocessed grief or the lack of something you would have liked to have and didn’t get (such as a loving childhood or youth). There’s a lot of ignorance and that’s a shame because no one remains unscathed in life; we’ve all experienced what we need to carry around in our backpacks. Trauma is not recognized by everyone, but the symptoms or issues are. These traumas can become an obstacle later in life, for example when feelings of rejection are triggered. With this deck, we hope to create as much awareness as possible and break the taboo on trauma.”