Your first visit

    If you have not been to a Dutch physiotherapist before, a few things work differently from what you may be used to. Here is what actually happens.

    Patient doing a leg exercise with a resistance band at STADS

    Booking

    Book online, call the location directly, or email us. You do not need a referral from a doctor — direct access has been standard in the Netherlands since 2006 and applies to everyone, regardless of insurer.

    If you would like to be treated in English, choose English spoken (all complaints) when the booking form asks what you are coming for. It covers any complaint and puts you with a therapist who treats in English.

    Waiting times are short. In most cases we can see you within a week.

    What to bring

    • Proof of identity – passport, ID card or residence permit
    • Your health insurance details
    • A referral letter, if you happen to have one
    • Comfortable clothing you can move in
    • Any relevant scans or reports, if you have them

    What happens in the first session

    It lasts around 30 minutes and is mostly conversation. Your therapist will ask what brought you in, how it started, what makes it better or worse, and what you want to get back to. Then a physical assessment: movement, strength, and testing that helps narrow things down.

    You will usually leave with an explanation of what is going on, a plan, and something to do at home. Hands-on treatment may start in the first session or the second, depending on what is needed.

    1

    We listen

    What is bothering you, since when, and what do you want to be able to do again?

    2

    We examine

    A physical assessment to work out where the complaint comes from.

    3

    We explain

    In plain English, without jargon, including what we do not know yet.

    4

    We start

    Treatment and, usually, a few exercises to take home.

    How many sessions

    That depends entirely on the complaint. Many people need somewhere between four and eight. Your therapist will give you an estimate early on and adjust it as things progress — if treatment is not helping, we would rather say so than keep going.

    Exercises at home

    Dutch physiotherapy leans heavily on active treatment. Expect exercises to do between sessions; they are not an optional extra but the part that does most of the work. Ten minutes a day done consistently beats an hour done once.

    Cancelling

    If you cannot make an appointment, let us know at least 24 hours in advance and the reserved time will not be charged. Cancel later than that, or not at all, and you will receive an invoice at the treatment rate — and this is not something insurers reimburse. An email, a phone call or a voicemail is enough.

    Paying

    We have contracts with every Dutch health insurer, so in most cases we bill your insurer directly and you see nothing. What is covered depends on your supplementary policy, so it is worth checking how many sessions you have. Details on rates and insurance.

    Ready to book?

    No referral needed. We treat in English at both locations.

    Make an appointment