What Rizel brings to the table
Education and Professional Journey
I hold both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work, with my postgraduate studies focused on Asset-Based Community Development. My Master’s research paper, which explored domestic violence, was awarded a distinction—an experience that further strengthened my interest in understanding people not only within their individual circumstances, but also within the relationships, systems and environments that shape their lives.
I began my career in South Africa, where I had the privilege of working directly with hundreds of children, adults and families, providing therapeutic and psychosocial support, including individual counselling, play therapy, family counselling, trauma support and crisis intervention. Those years gave me a deep appreciation for the courage it can take to ask for support, as well as the importance of creating a space where people feel genuinely heard, respected and able to explore change at their own pace.
Since moving to the Netherlands, my professional experience has broadened across international social-development projects, HR and People Operations, where I have supported employees through personal development, workplace challenges and periods of change. Across all of these settings, one lesson has remained consistent: lasting growth rarely comes from focusing only on what is going wrong. It also comes from recognising the strengths, relationships, experiences and resources that are already present.
Today, I am genuinely excited to step into the coaching role here in the Netherlands, bringing together my social-work foundation, therapeutic experience, international perspective and people-focused professional background. Through Protea Roots, I can now use that experience in a forward-looking and collaborative way—helping clients understand where they are, recognise what they already carry with them and work purposefully towards where they would like to go, while continuing to deepen my skills through formal coaching education in the Netherlands.
Professional Approach
I believe people are far more than the challenges they bring into a room.
My approach to coaching is rooted in asset-based development, strengths-based practice and integral resilience — which means we begin by looking not only at what feels difficult, but also at what is already present: your strengths, experiences, relationships, values, resources and capacity for growth.
I grew up in South Africa, a place that has deeply shaped how I understand resilience. Later, building a life in the Netherlands gave that word an entirely new meaning. I learned that resilience is not simply about enduring difficult circumstances or “bouncing back”. Sometimes it means adapting. Sometimes it means asking for help, redefining what success looks like, reconnecting with parts of yourself that have been overlooked, or finding a completely new way forward.
Professionally, my roots are in social work, community development and people-focused HR roles. Across these different settings, one principle has remained constant: meaningful and lasting change works best when people are active participants in their own development. My role is therefore not to tell you who you should become. It is to create a safe, thoughtful and non-judgemental space in which we can explore where you are now, recognise what you already carry with you, and work collaboratively towards where you would like to be.
I am currently further developing my practice through formal coaching education in the Netherlands, bringing together professional knowledge, lived experience and evidence-informed coaching approaches.
My personal values are grounded in my Christian faith, particularly compassion, dignity, hope and service. These are my values, not expectations placed on my clients. Protea Roots welcomes people of every faith, culture, nationality, identity and background.
You also do not need to arrive with a perfectly formulated goal. In fact, you may simply know that something needs to change. We can start there.
I see coaching not as fixing what is wrong, but as discovering what is already there, strengthening what serves you, and creating the conditions for something new to grow.