Our Team

Jan Taal

trainer-director Amsterdam School for Imagery and healthcare psychologist

Jan Taal (1949) has been active in the development of imagery since 1978. He has a practice for psychological treatment and coaching in Amsterdam to this day. He has led the Amsterdam School for Imagery since its founding in 1985.

This is what Jan says about imagery:

Imagery touches the soul, or in other words, it brings us into contact with the deeper layers of our psyche. with our unconscious drives but also with what we can potentially be.
The image, and especially our spontaneous images, give access to the domain of our dormant potential and the hidden within us. Imagery takes you into the extraordinary psychic fifth dimension, beyond time and space, where your talents, resilience and also lost or trapped parts of yourself can be found, as well as your connection with the Greater Whole of which we are a part.
Appropriating, integrating and applying what our imagery brings us is essential, it requires strength and inner balance, skill and training.
It is extremely inspiring for me to experience people’s deep inner processes and, where possible, to help them use the creativity that comes from within them to enrich their lives and those of others.

Jan studied cultural psychology and clinical psychology in Amsterdam and Leiden. In addition to being a trainer, he is a licensed healthcare psychologist and expert for the Dutch Psycho-Oncology Association (NVPO).

In the years 1969-1973, prior to his psychology studies, Jan wandered through Afghanistan and the mountains of Pakistan, India and Nepal. Many inspiring encounters and experiences made him realize the essential importance of the psychological and spiritual dimension in life. He immersed himself in eastern and western spiritual traditions, sufism, jungian and transpersonal psychology and was trained in Assagioli’s psychosynthesis in the Netherlands and Italy (1978-1982). In the last decades he also studies plant medicine with traditional healers in the Amazon region of South America.

Jan is committed to applying imagery in many areas of work and inspiring others to do the same, from therapy and healthcare to coaching, HRM, organizational and policy development.

In order to stimulate people with cancer in their coping process,by using their capacity for imagination and creativity, Jan was co-founder of the Cancer in Image (Kanker in Beeld) Foundation in 1997, of which he was the first chairman. He organized in collaboration with the Dutch Cancer Society in 1998 and 2003 the major manifestation Cancer in Image in the Old Church of Amsterdam.
In order to make the possibilities of imagery and creativity accessible to persons with cancer, other chronic diseases and crises, he developed the Imagery Toolbox. This project aims to give imagery and creativity a permanent place in the mainstream of healthcare in the care of people with illness or a crisis. The motto is ‘mobilize your inner strength’. The first edition was published in 2009 and the third edition of the Imagery Toolbox 3.0 was published in 2017. The first English edition Imagery Toolbox 3.0 was also published in 2017.

In 2021, during Covid, Jan developed the free online imagery tool Strengthen yourself in times of uncertainty or crisis.

For the dissemination of imagery and the training of professionals, Jan has lectured at universities and training institutions in Europe, North America and Asia, and since 2020 provides online webinars and workshops in the English training program of the Amsterdam School for Imagery.

Jan’s current specific areas of interest, in addition to his work as a mental health psychologist and trainer in imagery therapy and coaching, are:

– the further development of the therapeutic possibilities of imagery, including the Imagery Toolbox project; on imagerytoolbox.com one can find helpful free audios, and videos and the free Course Book Imagery Toolbox 3.0
– the study of traditional medicine and rituals of traditional healers in the Amazon region of South America;
– voice work and singing, painting, poetry and drama, and spending time and fun with his grandchildren and play tennis.

Jan has had a special bond with the Hindukush mountains in north-west Pakistan and its people since 1971. In the Pathan tribal area in Malakand he has been involved in the development of special education for girls from the poorest families. In 2007, the Foundation for Supporting Girls’ Education Pakistan was established for this purpose, of which he is secretary.

For the video in which Jan introduces imagery: click here

Selection of publications:

  • Taal, J. (2022). Imagery in Therapy, Counselling and Coaching. Download
  • Taal, J. (2021). Strengthen yourself in times of uncertainty or fear; online imagery tool. Download
  • Taal, J. (2019). The Three Stages of Imagery. Download
  • Taal, J. (2017). Course Book Imagery Toolbox 3.0.  Download
  • Taal, J. (2019). Coping with Cancer through Imagery and Artistic Expression. AAP Psychosynthesis Quarterly. March 2019. Download
  • Taal, J. (2016). Coping with cancer through imagery and artistic expression. Download
  • Sheikh, A. A. , Kunzendorf, R. G. , & Sheikh, K. S. Healing Images: Historical Perspective. In: Sheikh, A.A. (ed.). (2003) Healing Images. The Role of Imagination in Health. 3-26. New York: Baywood. Download
  • Taal,J. & en Krop, J. (2003). Imagery in the treatment of trauma. In: Sheikh, A. A. (ed.) Healing Images. The Role of Imagination in Health. Met een voorwoord door de Dalai Lama. Imagery and Human Development Series. p. 396-407. Download
  • Taal, J. (2009) Daydreaming into the enthralling world of the female breast. Download
  • Taal, J. (2006) Connecting with the Soul through Imagery. European Psychosynthesis Summer School. Sättra Brunn, Sweden. Download
  • Taal, J. (2007). Psychosynthese en imaginatie in coaching. Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Coaching. April, 55-58 Download
  • Taal, J. (2004). Assumer le cancer par l’expression créative et l’imagination. Revue Francophone Psycho-Oncology. Springer-Verlag. Download
  • Vertaling in the frans: L’emploi de l’imagination dans le traitement des traumas. L’emploi de l’imagination dans le traitement des traumas. Jan Taal et Joop Krop
  • Taal, J. (2007). Processi immaginativi e elaborazione del cancro. Terapia creativa e immaginazione. Rivista di Psicosintesi Terapeutica, anno VIII, 16, settembre. Download
  • Taal, J. (2015). Aperçu des principes et des techniques de l’imagination en psychothérapie et coaching. Download
  • Taal, J. (2021). Versterk jezelf in tijden van onzekerheid of angst; online imaginatie tool: . Download
  • Taal, J. (2019). De drie stadia van imaginatie. Download
  • Taal, J. (2017). Cursusboek Verbeeldingstoolkit 3.0. Bestellen Download
  • Taal, J. (2016). Imaginatie en creatieve expressie bij kanker. Tijdschrift Positieve Psychologie. nr. 2. april. 72-80. Download
  • Taal, J. (2017). Behandelen van angst met imaginatie. TETH, Vakblad van de Nederlandse Vereniging van Hypnotherapeuten. Download
  • Taal, J. (2003). Verbeeldingsprocessen en de verwerking van kanker. Beeldende therapie en imaginatie. In: C. Holzenspies, J. Taal. Kanker in Beeld. Verwerking door creatieve expressie. 2003. 8-20. Download
  • Taal, J. (2003). De hulpverlener: De duizendpoot en het verscheurde hart. In: C. Holzenspies, J. Taal. Kanker in Beeld. Verwerking door creatieve expressie. 2003. 33-37. Download
  • Taal, J. (1994). Imaginatietherapie. Tijdschrift voor Psychotherapie, 20 (4), 227-246. Download
  • Alma, H & Taal, J. (2015). Onderzoeksverslag Verbeeldings Toolkit. Psychosociale Oncologie, 23, nr. 1, 16. Download
  • Taal, J. (2014). Placebo effect en imaginatie. Klik hier
  • Overzicht principes en technieken van imaginatie. Download
  • Greef, J. van der. (2017). Een systeemvisie op gezond en ziek. Download
  • Taal,J. (2012). Verbeeldings Toolkit. Psychosociale Oncologie, 20, nr. 2, 22. Download
  • Taal, J. (2009) Nabeschouwing in: Van Buuren, A. De passie van leven, liefde en dood. 187-191. Kampen: Ten Have.
  • Taal, J. & Zoutberg, J. (2007). Imaginatie in coaching. Coaching Gids . Deventer: CoachingNet.
  • Taal, J. (2006). Cursus penaltieschieten. Download
  • Taal, J. (2004). Symbolen gebruiken. Leren in Ontwikkeling, juli/augustus. Download
  • Taal, J. (2003). De hulpverlener: De duizendpoot en het verscheurde hart. In: C. Holzenspies, J. Taal. Kanker in Beeld. Verwerking door creatieve expressie. 2003. 33-37.
  • Holzenspies, C & Taal, J. (2003). Kanker in Beeld. Verwerking door creatieve expressie. In: C. Holzenspies,
  • Taal, J (2003). Kanker in Beeld. Verwerking door creatieve expressie. Psychosociale Oncologie. 33-37.
  • Taal,J. (2002) Creatieve therapie beeldende therapie en imaginatie. Tijdschrift Psychosocial Oncologie, 10, 14-15.
  • Van Straalen, P. & Taal, J. (2001). Beeldonderzoek in de Zorg.Tekenen voor de Zorg, de verbeelding van een vak. Uitgave Duaal Zorg Overleg en VBZ. Haarlem.
  • Taal, J. (2002). Visie-ontwikkeling: Gebruik je verbeelding. Leren in Ontwikkeling, oktober.
  • Taal, J. (2002). We gaan ervoor. Waarvoor? Opleiding & Ontwikkeling , november. Download
  • Taal, J. (2001). Binnen en buiten. Over geestelijke vitaliteit en de zoektocht naar innerlijke bronnen. PANTA.https://www.imaginatie.nl/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/We-gaan-ervoor.-Waarvoor-Tijdschrift-Opleiding-Ontwikkeling-112002-1.doc
  • Taal, J. (2000). Het logo van de School voor Imaginatie en prehistorische grotkunst.
  • Taal, J. (1997). Organisatie Imaginatie. Verbeelding in opleiding, training en management. Capita Selecta 32, Kluwer Bedrijfswetenschappen, Deventer.