Well-being

Once you are new in the city, it is not easy to find a beauty salon, massage center, hairdresser based on your preferences. However, you can check Google Maps to see reviews and ask your friends for suggestions.

Also, you can use platforms like Treatwell to see the closest ones in your neighborhood, see their ratings, and book appointments online.

Gyms & fitness

If you are looking for expat-friendly fitness centers or trainers with flexible hours, there are some known gyms and workout classes in Amsterdam, such as Basic-Fit, TrainMore, Fit For Free and David Lloyd. You can contact them and check whether you prefer personal or group lessons and get a membership.

You can also check the ClassPass if you want to go to different places before you find "the one". With monthly subscription they give you access to hundreds of gyms, dance classes and yoga studios in Amsterdam.

In addition, you can check platforms like NewGym to compare all the gyms in your neighborhood, see their descriptions, membership information, pricing, and reviews in English then choose the best one for your budget.

Mental Healthcare

In the Netherlands, you have access to a different type of mental healthcare. Mental healthcare operates directly through the GGZ (Geestelijke Gezondheids Zorg or Mental Healthcare), the institution in charge of mental healthcare facilities and professionals.

Other relevant institutions include PsyQ, which provides overall mental health assistance, including psychology and psychiatry, and Parnassia, specializing in psychiatry. Also, NGOs like Access NL are dedicated to expat healthcare and provide an on-call counseling service.

Your GP is your first line of contact for your mental health. If for a GP it seems necessary, they will refer you to primary or secondary mental healthcare provider.

Primary care is designed to treat mild to moderate problems and includes counseling sessions with a psychologist, psychotherapist, or psychiatrist. However, secondary care is meant for more severe diagnoses such as ADHD, depression, or PTSD, which sometimes involves a specific facility for treatment.

Basic health insurance policies usually cover a primary care consultation under their ‘mental healthcare’ section. However, for in-depth and secondary care treatment, coverage can change depending on your health insurance policy. Therefore it’s essential to check this with your provider first. Otherwise, some mental healthcare fees might be left out, and you may need to pay for these yourself.

On the other hand, there are trained professionals who provide social services, including aid in psychological issues. They are available 24/7, and you don’t require a referral from your GP to access them. Other organizations such as International Social Service Netherlands (ISSN) also provide similar private services.

For more information on seeking help, you can check the main mental healthcare page from the Dutch government.