Karen Van Der Meer
Co-founder & Gestalt Therapist
My first 10-day supervised water fast was back in 1993 after suffering from debilitating depression and anxiety in my 20’s. I was fortunate enough back then to find a naturopath who was highly educated in the field of water fasting and raw organic food for health. I was not brought up in a particularly health-conscious environment, so it was pure gut instinct that led me away from modern medicine and towards a more natural solution to health and vitality. I knew for sure that drugs were not going to solve my problems long term, so I read and researched all there was on water fasting for health.
Initially the fast was torturous because I didn’t know what to expect from abstaining from food for long periods. The days were long, my energy was depleted and I couldn’t sleep, which is all very normal, so the discomfort was challenging. The benefits however, once I re introduced clean food to my body were enormous. My energy slowly increased, my skin was clear and I was able to manage my mental health and gain back a sense of control over my health and wellbeing in general.
In addition to my fasting passion, I have a strong interest in sustained mental health and early childhood development which led me to undertake a 4-year Master of Gestalt Therapy, completing my major work on Developmental Trauma. The word Gestalt, simple means ‘becoming whole’, and being such an over thinker myself, I am all about integrating the mind and body to reduce stress in the entire organism. Throughout my own work, I have experienced that being present and working with a body orientated therapy can most certainly bring back equilibrium to live a healthier, happier, and more balanced existence.
I conjunction with all of the above, I am a regular ice bath participant (at least twice per week) a daily meditator having completed over 20 of S.N Goenka’s 10 day silent Vipassana mediation retreats, and I enjoy learning more about the various forms of breathwork and it’s role in mental and physical health.
