VVDO

What VVDO does

VVDO vzw (Vlaamse Vereniging van Deskundigen in de Oplossingsgerichte, cognitieve en systemische therapie, opvoedkunde en coaching) is a Flemish non-profit professional association headquartered in Bruges, Belgium, that serves practitioners of solution-focused cognitive and systemic therapy, pedagogy, and coaching. Its core "product" is a member platform — a website (vvdo.be) integrating automated member management (ledenbeheer.be), an event calendar, a Social Map directory of practitioners, a media library, and a member newsletter — that gives members a discoverable practice listing, continuing education, and access to IASTI-certified training through the affiliated Korzybski Institute (founded 1984), with which VVDO's founders developed the proprietary Brugs Model therapy framework.

VVDO monetizes primarily through recurring annual membership subscriptions (75 EUR per year for standard and certified members, 25 EUR per year for Korzybski students) and, secondarily, through a small merchandise line, event registrations, and group-rate administration. It bundles third-party value: preferential professional liability insurance through Ethias (50 EUR + taxes/year) and recognition by Belgian mutualities that enables client reimbursement for member-provided therapy sessions. The organization is governed by a member board currently chaired by Dirk Quagebeur, is registered with the RPR Gent (afdeling Brugge), and reports 51-100 employees.

Operationally, VVDO functions as a community-led GTM motion rather than a venture-scalable technology business: it has not raised outside funding, has no disclosed M&A activity, and is not an AI-, software-, or data-driven product company. Its strategic positioning rests on the international recognition of the Brugs Model, the credentialing infrastructure around Korzybski/Howest/IASTI, and its role as the reimbursement-recognized professional body for solution-focused therapy in Flanders, with adjacent reach into the Netherlands and France via Benelux-wide Korzybski Institute collaborations.

Name

VVDO

Legal name

VVDOvzw (Vlaamse Vereniging van Deskundigen in de Oplossingsgerichte, cognitieve en systemische therapie, opvoedkunde en coaching)

Website

https://vvdo.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

VVDO vzw is a Flemish non-profit professional association based in Bruges, Belgium, that serves solution-focused cognitive and systemic therapy, pedagogy, and coaching practitioners through a member portal, directory, events, training access, and group insurance offerings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Mental Health Association Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAEALAE

Provider Network Administration & Contracting (PPO Network Management)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Health Insurance & Managed Care/Third-Party Administration (TPA) & Administrative Services Only (ASO)

Keywords

• Professional association
• Solution-focused therapy
• Psychotherapy training
• Mental health services
• Continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bruges

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees provide the primary revenue stream. Members pay annual dues and receive access to member benefits including training, networking, professional liability insurance discounts, and access to the Korzybski Institute's 2-day workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VVDO is a non-profit professional association that sells annual memberships to solution-focused cognitive and systemic therapy practitioners in Belgium. Membership includes access to an automated member management portal, an event agenda for workshops and training, a public Social Map directory that connects clients to practitioners, an annual two-day workshop at the Korzybski Institute, group professional liability insurance through Ethias at preferential rates, and recognition by Belgian mutualities for client reimbursement.

Product overview

VVDO is a professional association for solution-focused therapy practitioners, not a technology product company. Its core offering consists of an interactive member management portal with integrated event registration and a social directory for finding practitioners, supplemented by training benefits through the Korzybski Institute, group liability insurance, a media library, and various member engagement activities including the annual Alfred award and Energizer training events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual VVDO Membership Annual subscription membership in the Flemish professional association for solution-focused cognitive and systemic therapy practitioners, providing professional recognition, networking, training benefits, and inclusion in the public Social Map directory.
• Group Professional Liability Insurance through Ethias Annual group professional liability insurance product arranged by VVDO through Ethias at preferential rates, available to members for 50 EUR plus taxes per year.
• VVDO Branded Merchandise

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Korzybski Instituut (Korzybski Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984The Korzybski Institute, founded in 1984, is the world reference for solution-focused training. VVDO members receive access to a free 2-day workshop annually (worth 270 euros in 2025). The institute developed the Brugs Model together with VVDO founders. Current staff includes Geert Lefevere and Sébastien Vernieuwe. The institute is IASTI recognized and collaborates with Howest for official postgrad programs.
• Howest (Associatie Universiteit Gent)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorzybski Institute, in association with Howest (University of Ghent), offers officially recognized postgraduate programs: Postgraduaat Oplossingsgerichte Cognitieve SysteemPsychotherapie (4 years) and Postgraduaat Oplossingsgerichte Counseling (2 years), meeting the basic requirements for psychotherapy education in Flanders.
• EthiasminorOthersVVDO has arranged professional liability insurance through Ethias for its members at preferential rates of 50 euros + taxes per year. The association facilitates group rates and handles documentation for members.
• Various Mutualities (Health Insurance Funds)minorOthersVVDO succeeded in being recognized as a professional association by various mutualities, enabling member reimbursement for psychotherapy sessions. The association maintains relationships with mutualities to facilitate client refunds.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Belgian Federation of Psychologists (BFP): BFP is the Belgian professional federation representing psychologists nationally, including psychotherapists. It is comparable to VVDO as a Belgian professional membership body advocating for practitioners, though it is broader in scope and not solution-focused-specific.
• Nederlandse Vereniging van Vrijgevestigde Psychologen & Psychotherapeuten (NVVP): NVVP is the Dutch association for independent psychologists and psychotherapists, comparable to VVDO as a regional professional membership organization for therapists. It serves the Dutch market that VVDO has indicated as part of its Benelux reach.

Direct peers

• Brief Therapy Practice: Brief Therapy Practice is a UK-based training and practitioner community focused on solution-focused and brief therapy approaches. It is comparable to VVDO as a practitioner-facing training and community organization in the same therapeutic modality.
• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Association (SFBTA): SFBTA is an international membership association dedicated to solution-focused brief therapy practice and training. It serves the same practitioner community as VVDO at a global scale, making it a directly comparable peer organization.
• Korzybski Institute: Founded in 1984 and described as the world reference for solution-focused training, the Korzybski Institute co-developed the Bruges Model with VVDO's founders and delivers IASTI-recognized training. It is both a strategic partner and the closest operational peer, offering directly overlapping training and certification in solution-focused therapy.
• European Brief Therapy Association (EBTA): EBTA is a Europe-wide association promoting brief, solution-oriented therapeutic approaches, overlapping directly with VVDO's solution-focused mission and serving a similar constituency of practitioners across multiple countries.

Others

• International Association of Solution-Focused Therapy Institutions (IASTI): IASTI is the international body that certifies solution-focused training institutions, including the Korzybski Institute. It is comparable to VVDO as part of the same solution-focused ecosystem, acting as an enabling standards body rather than a competing membership association.
• Howest (Associatie Universiteit Gent): Howest partners with the Korzybski Institute to deliver officially recognized postgraduate programs in solution-focused psychotherapy and counseling. It is comparable as an academic/training enabler for VVDO's target practitioner base, rather than a competing membership body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VVDO-vzw-Vlaamse-Vereniging-van-Oplossingsgerichte-deskundigen-109244815906091

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VVDO