Fawzy Swaid

About Me

I know what it's like to build a whole life around being someone you think you have to be.

I was born a stateless Palestinian refugee in Damascus. When the world outside felt unsafe, I learned to escape into my own mind. After being sexually assaulted as a teenager, I convinced myself that it had not been rape. For the next fifteen years, I built a masculine identity around that denial. I thought that if I became strong enough, nobody would see the parts of me I was afraid to face.

Many years ago I reached the freedom of the Netherlands. I began a new life, but I was still living behind the mask I had brought with me from Syria.

I spent the last five years trying to understand who I am and what I want. I faced my addiction to porn, my dependence on my phone and the other ways I kept escaping from myself. I quit nicotine and alcohol. Letting go of those habits meant learning how to stay with the feelings I spent years avoiding.

Therapy, writing, meditation retreats and walking the Camino de Santiago have all been part of that journey. During a ten-day Vipassana retreat, I spent time in silence, learning to notice what was happening inside me. Slowly, I began to be more present in my own life.

And I fell in love.

Being loved brought me closer to the parts of myself I had hidden. It asked me to tell the truth, accept care and learn how to stay connected even when I felt afraid. I began to understand love through practising it: listening, being honest, allowing someone to see me and learning to offer that same kindness back.

I describe this movement in my life as moving from fear to love. I’m still learning how to live that way.

This is what brings me to coaching: self-love, connection and letting go. I’m beginning my practice from a place of lived experience and a wish to help others find their own way.

Maybe you have spent years trying to meet other people’s expectations. Maybe you feel disconnected from yourself, or keep reaching for distractions when you want something deeper. Maybe you know you want to change, but you don’t yet know what that could look like.

I offer you A room to speak your truth, choose your purpose and begin making conscious choices that you own.

A place to experience love, honesty and fun.

A chance to let go of what you no longer need.

Ready? I can help you change.

Coaching with me

Results & Goals

What would you like to feel or do differently in your life?

Together, we can work on:

• Self-unconditional love: noticing how you speak to yourself and learning to respond with more kindness.

• Authenticity: exploring who you are beyond other people’s expectations, and finding the courage to express what you feel, need and believe.

• Connection: allowing yourself to be seen, listening with curiosity and making room to give and receive love. Learning to accept care and ask for help.

• Belonging: finding people and places where you feel able to be yourself, especially when life changes or you’re finding your way somewhere new.

• Letting go and forgiveness: exploring the expectations, habits, beliefs and hurt you’re ready to release. Making room to forgive yourself or others, at your own pace, while respecting your boundaries. Forgiveness doesn’t have to mean excusing what happened or reconnecting with someone.

• Being present: noticing your thoughts, feelings and surroundings, including the moments when you reach for your phone or other distractions. Gently bringing your attention back when you get caught in the past or worried about the future, and choosing how you want to spend it. Making room to experience the life happening now.

• Fun: making room for laughter, play and curiosity. Discovering what you enjoy and allowing yourself to enjoy it without needing to achieve something.

• Purpose: understanding what matters to you and choosing a direction that feels like your own.

• Change: turning what you discover into small, conscious actions you can practise in everyday life.

Progress might mean saying no without a long explanation, having a conversation you’ve been avoiding or spending an evening doing something you care about.

You choose what we work towards. We’ll keep checking what is changing and what still needs attention.

How I like to coach

I like honest conversations. The kind where you can take your time, say “I don’t know” and discover what you mean as you speak.

I bring curiosity, warmth and directness. I’ll listen closely, ask questions and share what I notice. Sometimes I might gently challenge something you say. You can challenge me too. I want you to have room to disagree and find your own answer.

My story has taught me a lot, and I’m curious about what yours has to teach us. When I share an experience, we can explore whether any part of it is useful to you.

We can use conversation, writing and simple moments of reflection. Towards the end of a session, we’ll choose something you want to try in your daily life. Next time, we’ll talk about what happened, what helped and what you want to do differently.

There is room for difficult feelings, and there is room for laughter and fun. I want our conversations to help you feel more connected to yourself and more able to choose your next step.

I studied communication science, but my approach comes mostly from lived experience: what I’ve faced, questioned and changed in my own life, and what I’m still learning.

I’m now beginning my coaching practice to share what I’ve learned and help others find their own way. My focus is personal growth and everyday choices, coaching with me does not replace therapy or treatment for trauma or addiction.

Offerings

Coaching

I offer one-to-one coaching focused on self-love, connection and letting go.

Maybe you know what you want to change. Maybe you just feel stuck and want room to understand why. We can start there.

Together, we can explore being kinder to yourself, connecting more honestly with others, letting go and forgiveness, and being more present. There is room for difficult feelings, and room for laughter and fun. We’ll turn what you discover into small choices you can practise in everyday life.

We begin with a three-month plan, with four 45-minute sessions each month, usually meeting once a week. We’ll choose your goals together and regularly check what’s helping. After three months, we can discuss continuing if that feels useful.

Before we begin, we’ll have a free 30-minute introduction call to meet, talk about what you’re looking for and see whether we want to work together.

Courses

I’m currently focusing on one to one coaching and don’t offer courses.

Experience, Certifications & Training

Certifications and Degrees

• Bachelor's in Communication and Information Sciences

Professional and life experience

I studied communication science and worked in video production, helping people tell stories. Now, through writing and coaching, I’m interested in the stories we tell about ourselves—and what happens when we begin to question them.

I was born a stateless Palestinian refugee in Damascus and built a new life in the Netherlands. I know what it feels like to start again, look for belonging and carry old fears into a place where you are finally safe.

I also went through a heavy burnout. My memory and concentration suffered, and reading and writing became difficult. I began writing one line a day and recording my thoughts. That experience changed how I understand my limits, rest and the pressure to keep going.

Over the last five years, I have faced my addiction to porn, my dependence on my phone and the ways I used distraction to avoid difficult feelings. I quit nicotine and alcohol and began learning how to stay present with myself.

Therapy, writing, walking the Camino de Santiago and a ten-day Vipassana meditation retreat have all been part of that process. So has falling in love: learning to receive care, tell the truth and let someone see me.

These experiences shape the curiosity, warmth and honesty I bring to coaching. I’m beginning my practice, and I’m still learning. I share what I’ve lived through while leaving room for your experience to be different from mine.

Fee description

We begin with a free 30-minute introduction call to talk about what you’re looking for, ask questions and see how we connect. There’s no obligation to continue. Payment is arranged only if we both agree to work together.

The three-month coaching package includes 12 individual sessions of 45 minutes, with four sessions each month. The total price is €1,200, paid in three monthly payments of €400.

If the full fee is beyond your budget, a reduction of up to 30% is available based on financial circumstances. With the full reduction, the three-month package costs €840, paid in three monthly payments of €280. We can discuss this during our introduction call.

Before we begin, we’ll agree on your session schedule and the arrangements for rescheduling or ending coaching. After three months, we’ll review your progress and decide together whether continuing would be useful.