I'm coming back from maternity leave
The first months are a wave. Putting identity, schedule and ambition back together — without the guilt.
Back to work
without losing
yourself.
Transformational coaching for women in transition — with a specialism in mothers returning to work. Find clarity, confidence and a rhythm that's truly yours — in Italian, English or Dutch.
Three women, one shared pattern.
You don't need to have it all figured out. You just need to be willing to start looking.
I want to change direction
Your priorities have shifted — maybe through motherhood, maybe through something else. The old job doesn't fit anymore. What's needed now is a clear pivot, not a leap in the dark.
I need a sustainable rhythm
Not the magazine version of work-life balance. A real rhythm that keeps burnout at bay and doesn't drain you every Friday night.
Not a mother, but ready to rethink your direction? As a transformational coach, I support women through change — the programme is open to you too.
Three movements. One direction back to yourself.
Not a productivity hack. A way of paying attention to what has actually changed in you — and rebuilding from there.
Identity
Understand what has genuinely changed in you — your values, your needs, your definition of success.
Clarity
Decide with intention. Not by default, not by pressure — but by knowing clearly what you want next.
Momentum
Step forward on your terms. Rebuilding your professional life in a way that fits who you are now.
Her Next Chapter
For women ready for change — but not yet sure what it looks like, or where to start. A guided space to find direction, not another to-do list.
8 bi-weekly sessions
60-min 1:1 coaching calls, every two weeks.
Voxer support
Voice & text support between sessions.
One emergency 30-minute session — yours to use whenever you need it most.
Not sure which direction to push? Let's figure it out together.
Book a first callAvailable for companies — workshops and 1:1 programmes for employees returning from maternity leave.
One clear price, no surprises.
60-minute 1:1 sessions. One programme, one clear price — VAT included.
Founding Client Rate: €895
incl. VAT
Option to pay in full or in instalments.
Book a free 20-minute introduction
Meet Maaike
I'm Dutch by birth, Italian by heart, and a mother in the middle of both worlds. For years I built my career across tech and hospitality, marketing and sales — accumulating skills, titles, and a quiet sense that I was running on automatic.
The turning point came when I became a mum. It was a question: who am I becoming, and is it actually me?
That question became my work. As a qualified transitional coach, I now work with Italian women around the world who feel the same pull — successful on paper, but ready to come back to themselves. Through DWAIT, I hold space for the transitions that don't fit neatly on a résumé: motherhood, reinvention, the slow return to your own voice.
I'm not here to give you a five-step plan. I'm here to help you feel like yourself again — and build a life that reflects who you really are.
My mission
Too many capable women spend years performing a version of their life instead of living one that's true. My mission is to help Italian women find their way back to their own voice — to that eight-year-old girl who knew who she was before the world told her who to be. Not with quick fixes, but with the space and honesty real transformation requires.
Why DWAIT
Dutch With An Italian Touch isn't just my name — it's how I work.
- Dutch clarity
- Direct, honest, no performance. The willingness to ask the question you've been avoiding.
- Italian warmth
- Depth, intuition, and the understanding that real change happens in the body and the heart, not just the head.
I first learned this work from the one and only Lucy Spicer, and later trained formally to become a certified transitional coach — so I bring method to the work as well as heart. And because I've lived between cultures, languages and identities myself — as a mother, a founder, a woman who chose to redesign her life rather than inherit it — I understand the in-between. The space where you're no longer who you were, but not yet who you're becoming. That's exactly where I'll meet you.
From those who started
“After my second maternity leave I didn't know where to begin. Four months later I had a direction that was mine — not a default, not someone else's.”
What you might want to know first.
60 minutes. Long enough to go deep, short enough to leave with concrete actions.
Yes — I specialise in working with mothers in transition, but as a transformational coach I support women through change. If you're a woman ready to rethink your direction, the programme works for you too.
We start with a free intro call — no payment needed to book it. The price for the programme is listed on the site, VAT included. You can pay in full or in instalments, at no extra cost.
Yes, up to 24 hours before, at no cost. You'll find the link in your confirmation email.
Italian, English or Dutch. You pick the one you feel freest in.
For new clients, the path is the full Her Next Chapter package — 8 sessions over 4 months, plus Voxer support. Single sessions and shorter packages are reserved for returning clients.
DWAIT
Four months to find the next chapter.
It starts with a first call — no commitment. We'll see together if Her Next Chapter is right for where you are now.
Let's talk.
Have a question, or want to know if this is right for you? Write to me — I read every message myself.
info@dutchwithanitaliantouch.comFor HR & people leaders
Supporting a team of returning women?
Her Next Chapter Live is our programme for mothers returning from leave, with an anonymised insight report for the employer.
Read the business case →