After two decades in the corporate world, expat partner Tobias van den Hoven admits he was running on empty. “Relocation gave me a chance to slow down and reflect on what I wanted to do.”
A new beginning
Before moving to Poland in early 2024, Tobias already sensed that something needed to change. Work he once enjoyed no longer fulfilled him and he felt it was time for a fresh start. “When the opportunity to relocate arose, the timing felt right,” he says. “I stepped away from my own career without a clear plan. I didn’t know what I would do – I just knew I wanted to find something that really resonated with me.”
Time to reflect
Arriving in Warsaw, Tobias – a father of two – deliberately avoided rushing into a new role. The first months were spent settling the family, managing practicalities and adjusting to a new city. Once daily life was in order, he gave himself time to reflect. Years earlier, there had been an interest in energy and wellbeing. This interest and current momentum now led him to explore Reiki, a form of energy healing that focuses on restoring balance within body and mind. “As soon as I began the training, I had a strong sense that this was something I wanted to pursue professionally,” he explains.
A passion for Reiki
Reiki training involves three levels, each deepening the practitioner’s understanding of how to channel and work with energy. Tobias has already completed the first two stages, which allow him to offer treatments to clients. Recently, Tobias has concentrated on developing his practice. He has created a website, printed business cards and secured a location in Warsaw and one in Amsterdam where he offers sessions. Alongside Reiki, he is in training for another technique known as Esoteric Healing which focuses on bringing alignment from a physical, emotional, and spiritual perspective. This will be complementary next to Reiki in the future.
‘A complete 180’
What he enjoys most about his new vocation is seeing the immediate effect a session can have on his clients. “After an hour, you can often see how much more relaxed someone looks,” he says. For someone who is people and connection focused, he finds this very fulfilling. Looking back, Tobias is grateful for the support he received from the expatriating company and Global Connection, which helped him pursue this new direction. “It’s a complete 180 for me,” he reflects. “But considering how I felt before, I couldn’t be happier where this path is leading.”
Photo: Tobias van den Hoven
All Global Connection’s corporate clients are leading multinationals. Due to some of their policies, we do not use their name in public articles. However, expat partners signed in to our private Media & Network can see the multinational’s name.
