As Amsterdam celebrates Pride Month and prepares to welcome WorldPride in 2026, it is an opportunity not only to celebrate diversity but also to reflect on the importance of belonging, visibility, and inclusion. While significant progress has been made, many LGBTQIA+ people continue to navigate challenges related to identity, acceptance, career progression, mental wellbeing, and finding spaces where they can show up fully as themselves.
Coaching can play an important role in this journey. Unlike advice-giving, coaching creates a confidential and non-judgmental space for reflection, self-discovery, and growth. For LGBTQIA+ individuals, coaching can help build confidence, navigate transitions, explore authentic leadership, strengthen resilience, and reconnect with personal values and aspirations. At its best, coaching supports people in moving from simply coping to thriving.
At Stichting Treehouse Coaching, we are fortunate to have coaches who have been pioneers in supporting LGBTQIA+ communities. Sebastian Rocca, founder of Micro Rainbow (www.microrainbow.org), has dedicated much of his work to supporting LGBTQIA+ refugees and asylum seekers in building safe, fulfilling, and independent lives. Caroline Bergvall, of Caroline Bergvall Coaching (www.carolinebergvallcoaching.com), has been a longstanding advocate for inclusion and supporting writers, artists, organizers, educators, and professionals to create environments where diversity, including cultural and multilingual heritage is valued and people can flourish. She is an established artist and writer and uses this experience in her coaching.
Photo Credit: Sebastian Rocca
Photo Credit: Tom Martin
Their work reminds us that coaching is not only about individual growth; it is also about creating the conditions in which people can belong, contribute, and realise their potential. By making coaching more accessible, we hope to support individuals from all backgrounds, identities, and life experiences in navigating change and pursuing what matters most to them.
If you are in Amsterdam this month, we encourage you to explore the rich programme of films, conversations, and cultural events that celebrate LGBTQIA+ stories and perspectives. Festivals such as Roze Filmdagen (www.rozefilmdagen.nl) offer an opportunity to engage with experiences different from our own and to reflect on the importance of empathy, visibility, and human connection—values that sit at the heart of both Pride and coaching.