About Hiroe
Hi, I’m Hiroe — Self-Compassion Across Cultures
Hiroe Takeuchi is an MSC Certified Teacher (Center for Mindful Self-Compassion, USA) who teaches self-compassion across cultures. Born in China, raised in Japan, and living in the Netherlands for over 11 years, she has guided more than 1,000 people through Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) courses, workshops, and free meditation sessions. Her work is especially for people living across cultures — expats, immigrants, and those of mixed heritage — who never quite feel they belong, wherever they are, and never quite feel they are enough.
If you’ve crossed borders, built a career, and adapted to new cultures — and still feel that quiet “not enough” following you wherever you go — I want you to know: I’ve felt it too.
My Story
For years, I believed the next place would finally bring fulfilment. China, then Japan, then the Netherlands. New countries, new careers, a master’s degree, raising three children across languages and cultures. On paper, it looked like a life that was going well.
But inside, I always felt I wasn’t quite in the right place — that I wasn’t doing well enough. If I could just perform better, adapt better, learn more, then surely I’d finally find where I belonged. So I kept pushing: “Try harder. Then I’ll finally be okay.” But each time I reached something I’d been chasing, I felt okay for a moment — and then the familiar emptiness crept back in. It still wasn’t enough. So I’d find the next thing to chase. No matter how far I travelled or how much I achieved, that “not enough” voice followed me.
The turning point came here in the Netherlands, when I discovered self-compassion. The idea was simple, but it changed everything: I could meet my own struggles with the same warmth I’d offer a good friend, instead of constant pushing. For the first time, I felt at peace with myself, with my life, and with where I am. What I’d been chasing across the world had been within me all along.
I began studying Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) in 2020, completed the official MSC teacher training in 2022, and have been teaching the programme ever since. I qualified as an MSC Trained Teacher that same year, and in 2025 I completed full certification — a further qualification for teachers who undertake additional training and meet the programme’s standards. Over these years, I’ve had the privilege of guiding more than 1,000 people in self-compassion, through MSC courses, workshops, and free meditation sessions.
Self-compassion was never about becoming perfect — to be human is to be imperfect and whole at the same time, and I’m no exception. Perfectionism still visits me, the longing to belong to one place still surfaces now and then, and three young children keep life joyfully imperfect. What’s changed is that I now know how to be on my own side when things get hard — and that’s exactly what I help others learn. I’ll always be learning and growing — but I no longer need to be “finished” to be at peace with who I am. I live more freely, and more as myself, than ever before. Finding belonging within myself has changed everything.
If you recognise yourself in any of this, I’d love to walk alongside you.
What I Bring
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I’ve lived the “endless cycle.”
I know from the inside what it’s like to chase belonging across borders and still never quite feel you belong — and how to find your way out of that loop.
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Attuned to cultural difference.
Having grown up between cultures, I’ve experienced countless subtle cultural differences first-hand. So I care deeply about making this a space where you feel at ease and understood, whatever your background.
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Small and personal.
I’m not a large organisation. You’ll be met as a person, in a small group where it feels safe to be exactly as you are.
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Grounded in evidence — and in practice.
My teaching follows the science-based MSC programme created by Drs. Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer. I’ve also lived it myself: six self-compassion courses, ranging from ten weeks to eight and a half months, and four years of Vipassana meditation practice.
Credentials & Background
For those who’d like the details, here’s the training and background behind my teaching.
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Teaching Qualifications
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Jun 2022 | Completed official MSC Teacher Training (Center for Mindful Self-Compassion) — qualified to teach the MSC course, and teaching ever since |
| Oct 2022 | Qualified as MSC Trained Teacher, after teaching a full MSC course |
| Jul 2025 | Qualified as MSC Certified Teacher — a further qualification requiring additional training and meeting the programme’s standards |
Self-Compassion Training
| Date | Programme |
|---|---|
| Sep 2020 | Live Online MSC (10 weeks) |
| Dec 2020 | MSC for Young Adults — “Embracing Your Life” |
| Feb 2022 | MSC 8-Week Course |
| Sep 2022 | MSC 8.5-Month Course (Community Development Programme) |
| Dec 2022 | Shame & Self-Compassion (8-week course) |
| Dec 2020 – present | Weekly Circle of Practice, hosted by the Center for MSC (ongoing) |
Mindfulness Practice
| Date | Practice |
|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | Metta Retreat (4 days, in person) |
| Apr 2022 | Vipassana Retreat (6 days, in person) |
| Jan 2023 | Vipassana Retreat (4 days, in person) |
| Jul 2024 | Vipassana Retreat (8 days, in person) |
| Mar 2025 | Introduction to Vipassana Meditation (7 weeks) |
| Aug 2025 | Vipassana Retreat (10 days, in person) |
| Feb 2023 – present | Monthly day retreats, 1–3× per month (ongoing) |
Education & Professional Background
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Education | B.A. in Law, Osaka University, Japan (graduated with academic honours) |
| Education | LL.M., Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam — International & EU Migration Law, Human Rights Law |
| Certification | Positive Discipline (Jul 2024) |
| Career | Former corporate professional — trading and investment company (accounting, corporate management, and finance), Tokyo; bank (corporate sales), Amsterdam |
| Personal | Mother of three · Living in the Netherlands for 11+ years |
200+ participants across 17 official MSC programmes · 1,000+ guided in total across all courses, workshops and meditation sessions · Certified by the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion (USA), the home of the programme developed by Drs. Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer.
Ways to Work With Me
Whether you’d like to dip a toe in or dive deep, there’s a gentle way to begin.
- Free online sessions — meditation and intro sessions, no experience needed. A relaxed first step.
- MSC 6-Week Short Course — the essentials of self-compassion in shorter, 90-minute weekly sessions. A focused, more accessible way to learn the core practices.
- MSC 8-Week Course — the full, in-depth Mindful Self-Compassion programme.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Hiroe Takeuchi?
Hiroe Takeuchi is an MSC Certified Teacher, certified by the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion (USA). Born in China, raised in Japan, and living in the Netherlands for over 11 years, she teaches self-compassion across cultures and has guided more than 1,000 people through MSC courses, workshops and free meditation sessions.
Are the courses and sessions in English?
Yes. These courses, workshops and meditation sessions are taught in English, online. Hiroe also teaches in Japanese on the Japanese site.
Can I join from outside the Netherlands?
Yes. All sessions are held online via Zoom, so you can join from anywhere in the world — wherever you happen to call home right now.
Do I need any meditation or psychology experience?
Not at all. The MSC programme is designed for complete beginners — no meditation or psychology background needed. A free session is a gentle place to start.
I never quite feel like I belong anywhere. Can self-compassion help?
Yes. When you never quite feel you belong — at home, abroad, or somewhere in between — self-compassion lets you meet that feeling with warmth instead of judgement. It helps you build a sense of belonging within yourself — one that travels with you wherever you go. This is exactly the experience Hiroe knows from the inside — and the very reason she teaches self-compassion.
Begin Within
Let’s begin, together
If any of this resonates with you, you’re warmly welcome at a free online session — no experience needed.
Or stay connected — receive gentle reminders and practical self-compassion tips.