Alumna Ingrid Steenhuis: ‘I’m just going to do it!’

Ingrid Steenhuis has followed an impressive academic journey across several universities. In 1987, she began studying nursing at a university of applied sciences. She then continued her studies at Maastricht University, completing a pre-master’s and a master’s degree in Health Sciences. She worked as a research assistant at GVO in Maastricht and obtained her PhD in 2002 on the same topic.

But that was not the end of her academic path. Ingrid subsequently worked at the Open University and Erasmus University before joining the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where she is now Professor of Public Health Prevention. Her broad academic background has enabled her to build extensive expertise in health psychology – knowledge she is keen to share.

We often hear from alumni who share their expertise through books that they have always loved writing. The same is true for Ingrid: “For as long as I can remember, I’ve really enjoyed writing, especially the creative process,” she explains. “During my PhD, I had already written a sort of self-help guide. I really enjoyed doing that. Writing academic articles is enjoyable too, but it’s less creative.”

When the right opportunity arose, Ingrid decided to combine her love of writing with her professional expertise. That moment came when a PhD candidate needed to write a workbook. “I thought: why don’t we do this properly and turn it into a real book that we can actually publish?” Together, they drafted a short proposal and sent it to a publisher. “Before we knew it, we were sitting at the table with the very first publisher we approached – and that’s how my first book came into being.”

The title of Ingrid’s fourth book is telling: I’m just going to do it! – and that is exactly what she did. She decided to publish the book independently. “With a publisher, you are sometimes restricted. There’s a strong focus on costs,” she explains. “And if you want more refined illustrations, that quickly becomes difficult.” That is why she chose to collaborate directly with an illustrator and designer and to publish the book herself.

Fortunately, by this point in her career she had built a strong professional network – consisting of healthcare professionals and others working in the healthcare sector, precisely the target audience for her book.

In her book, Ingrid shares many practical insights that professionals can apply immediately. When we asked her what key message she would like to share in advance, she highlighted several important principles.

First and foremost: well-intentioned advice is often less effective than we think. “When it comes to behaviour change, simply giving advice usually doesn’t help. So I always say: stop advising and start guiding.” According to Ingrid, it’s not about telling someone what to do, but about exploring together what suits them best. That starts with listening and asking the right questions.

It is also important not to move too quickly into action. “Spend plenty of time exploring what someone wants and what suits them. Don’t rush into action.” Lifestyle change, she explains, touches on who someone is and how they live. It therefore requires personalisation and patience. “Your lifestyle is essentially part of your identity.”

Social support also plays a major role. “Organise social support. People can really benefit from help.” A partner, friend or colleague can help someone stay motivated, particularly when things become challenging.

In addition, Ingrid emphasises the importance of skills. “Simply pouring in knowledge doesn’t work – you need to help someone develop skills.” For example, knowing what is healthy is not enough in itself. People must also learn how to translate that knowledge into everyday life, whether that involves grocery shopping, cooking or setting boundaries.

Finally, she stresses the importance of realistic expectations. Change rarely happens without setbacks. Preparing people for this helps prevent a relapse from feeling like failure. “It’s simply difficult at times, and that’s completely normal in any process of behaviour change.”

Ingrid is far from finished with writing. She clearly enjoys it and places great value on sharing knowledge. She is therefore happy to share her experience with others who are considering becoming authors themselves.

“You don’t necessarily have to write a whole book from beginning to end. Start with the chapter you feel most enthusiastic about,” she advises. She also understands that writing an entire book can sometimes feel overwhelming. “Don’t focus on the whole book you have to write – break it down into manageable chunks. For example, write around 1,000 words at a time.” She also has clear advice about publishing: “Write a concise proposal and carefully consider which publisher is the best fit.”

In the meantime, she is already working on a new book – once again self-published. This time, she will explore the theme of relapse in greater depth. The first pages are already written.