VBAG

What VBAG does

VBAG (Vereniging voor Adviespraktijken en Alternatieve Geneeswijzen) is the largest professional association for integrative healthcare (beroepsvereniging integratieve gezondheidszorg) in the Netherlands. It is a private, member-owned association headquartered in Nuenen and governed by a volunteer board including a chairman (Lennart Ruder), treasurer (Ghislain Janssen), secretary (Laura Haerkens), and additional board members. VBAG represents practitioners across six therapy categories: Beweegzorg (movement care), Bodymind Therapie, Natuurgeneeswijze (naturopathy), Energetische Therapie, Oosterse Geneeswijze (Eastern medicine), and Psychosociale Geneeswijze. Members must meet strict quality criteria including a minimum HBO-level (higher professional education) degree with medical or psychosocial foundation, regular visitations, and continuing education.

The core platform consists of a public-facing therapist finder at vbag.nl enabling clients to search practitioners by province, therapy type, specialization, and name, alongside a member administration portal (Mijn VBAG) for credential and profile management. VBAG also distributes the VBAG Schild certification badge as a member product and runs a continuing-education event program including Beleef & Verdiep days and Lokaal & Live days, partnered with training providers such as YIN Association, Peirsman Cranio Sacraal Academie, and Bloesem Remedies Nederland. Distribution is single-country (Netherlands only) and relies on organic channels: website, blog, social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram), and events.

VBAG's revenue model is membership-subscription based, with therapists paying recurring dues for access to insurance recognition, professional support, continuing education, and the therapist directory. Membership pricing is not publicly disclosed. The association does not have venture capital, private equity, or external corporate ownership; it operates as a member-governed Dutch professional body with a small secretariat staff at its Nuenen office.

Name

VBAG

Legal name

VBAG

Website

https://vbag.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VBAG is the largest Dutch professional association for integrative healthcare therapists, serving 600+ members across six therapy categories with membership subscriptions, insurance recognition, a public therapist directory, and continuing education events in the Netherlands only.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nuenen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Lidmaatschap (Membership): VBAG generates revenue through membership fees charged to therapists who join the professional association. Members receive insurance recognition, professional development support, and marketing visibility through the VBAG platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VBAG is a Dutch professional association for integrative healthcare therapists. It sells therapist and student memberships that confer insurance recognition, public listing in the online therapist directory, access to the Mijn VBAG administration portal, continuing education events, and professional support with legislation and regulations. Members must meet strict quality criteria, including a minimum HBO-level education with medical or psychosocial foundation knowledge.

Product overview

VBAG is the largest professional association for integrative healthcare (beroepsvereniging integratieve gezondheidszorg) in the Netherlands. The organization provides a platform for certified therapists practicing various forms of integrative medicine. The core offering includes a member portal (Mijn VBAG) for therapist administration, a therapist directory for clients, educational events (Beleef & Verdiep and Lokaal & Live days), and coverage of six therapy modalities: Beweegzorg (movement care), Bodymind Therapie, Natuurgeneeswijze (naturopathy), Energetische Therapie, Oosterse Geneeswijze (Eastern medicine), and Psychosociale Geneeswijze. Members can purchase a VBAG Schild badge as part of their professional credentials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VBAG Schild: A certification/membership product offered by VBAG for therapists

Products and services

• Therapeut Membership (Therapeutlidmaatschap) Recurring membership for practicing therapists that confers insurance company recognition, public listing in the VBAG therapist directory, access to the Mijn VBAG member portal, continuing education events, and professional support with legislation and regulations. Requires HBO-level education with medical or psychosocial foundation knowledge and ongoing visitation/continuing education compliance.
• Student Membership (Studentlidmaatschap) Membership tier for student therapists pursuing qualifying education, providing early engagement with the professional association ahead of full therapist membership.
• Therapist Directory (Therapeuten overzicht) Public, searchable online directory enabling clients to find certified VBAG therapists across all twelve Dutch provinces, filterable by therapy type (Werkvorm), specialty (Specialisme), and therapist first name.
• VBAG Schild (Badge / Quality Mark) Purchasable VBAG badge/quality mark offered to certified member therapists as part of their professional credentials and visibility.
• Continuing Education Events (Beleef & Verdiep and Lokaal & Live dagen) Educational events for VBAG members and invited guests, including Beleef & Verdiep (Experience & Deepen) days that explore other therapy modalities in depth, and Lokaal & Live days that combine networking with thematic presentations such as Saluto Genese.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• YIN AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYIN Association collaborates with VBAG to organize Beleef & Verdiep (Experience & Deepen) days for VBAG therapists, specifically for YIN yoga and Cranio-Sacral therapy workshops and training events.
• Peirsman Cranio Sacraal AcademiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with VBAG in organizing Beleef & Verdiep events, combining YIN and Cranio therapies to help therapists explore natural rhythms and understand frozen fascia.
• Bloesem Remedies NederlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with Bram Zaalberg specializing in flower remedies. Collaborates on content about flower remedies for Long Covid recovery and energy restoration, and hosts educational workshops for VBAG therapists.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BATC (Beroepsorganisatie voor Alternatieve Therapeuten en Counselors): Dutch professional association for alternative therapists and counselors. Direct competitor to VBAG, offering similar membership, insurance recognition, and therapist directory services across CAM modalities.
• NVA (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Acupunctuur): Dutch professional association for licensed acupuncturists. Competes with VBAG for CAM therapist memberships in the Netherlands, particularly for modalities overlapping with acupuncture (e.g., TCM, energetische therapie).
• Zhong (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Traditionele Chinese Geneeskunde): Dutch association for Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners. Competes with VBAG's 'Oosterse geneeswijze' therapy category for TCM-trained therapists in the Netherlands.
• LVNT (Landelijke Vereniging Natuurlijke Therapeuten): National Dutch association for natural therapists. Direct peer providing membership, professional recognition, and therapist directory services for the Dutch CAM market.
• NWP (Nederlandse Werkgroep van Praktizijns in de Natuurlijke Geneeskunst): Dutch working group of natural medicine practitioners. A closely comparable CAM professional association competing directly with VBAG in naturopathy and natural medicine segments.
• RING (Register Integrale Natuurlijke Geneeskunde): Register of integrative natural medicine practitioners in the Netherlands. Competes with VBAG by offering quality registration and insurer recognition for natural medicine practitioners.
• FAGT (Federatie Additief Geneeskundig Therapeuten): Federation of additive medical therapists in the Netherlands. Competes with VBAG for integrative healthcare practitioners seeking professional recognition and insurer accreditation.

Broad incumbents

• Doctolib: Major European healthcare booking platform that has expanded into the Netherlands. While not a professional association, it competes with VBAG's therapist directory for client-side demand for finding and booking alternative therapy appointments.

Emerging players

• VVET (Vereniging Van Energetisch Therapeuten): Association for energetically-oriented therapists in the Netherlands. A more narrowly focused peer that overlaps with VBAG's 'Energetische Therapie' category but does not match VBAG's breadth across CAM modalities.
• NBCG (Nederlandse Beroepsvereniging voor Counselling en Gesprekstherapie): Dutch professional association for counseling and talk therapy. Overlaps with VBAG's 'Psychosociale therapie' category but is narrower in scope, focusing on counseling rather than the full CAM spectrum.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/vbagberoepsvereniging
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vbag
• Instagraminstagram.com/vbag_beroepsvereniging

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 VBAG