Interview with Petra Moonen: “It’s not about money. It’s about love, attention, and recognition.”

What makes Petra truly special is her kindness, compassion, and unwavering belief that every person deserves to be seen first as a human being — not as a diagnosis.

“What I do is simple: I show people that every client is just that — a person. Every person is unique.”

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Petra has played an active role in supporting Ukrainian families in the Netherlands, organizing training for mental health professionals, coordinating humanitarian aid, and creating a sense of safety and stability for displaced families with special needs.Every year, she also travels to Ukraine to work with professionals and people living in residential care institutions in the Zakarpattia region.

A career built on compassion

Petra began her career in childcare before moving into psychiatry through training at the Vincent van Gogh Clinic. She later joined Parnassia Groep in The Hague, where she discovered the field she truly belonged in.

“I’ve always wanted to help other people. It’s simply part of who I am. I think it also comes from my Catholic upbringing. We were raised with sayings like: ‘Do good, and good will come to you,’ ‘Share what you have,’ and ‘There is always someone who has it harder than you.'”

Working in long-term intensive psychiatry meant caring for people many others considered “difficult” or even dangerous.

“Those are actually my favourite clients. Behind the aggression, fear, or distrust, there is always a person. I try to meet the human being before I see the patient.”

Petra believes trust is built by listening without judgment.

“During the first meeting, I always make time. I ask about their parents, their dreams, and what matters to them. When people feel genuinely heard, everything changes.”

Falling in love with Ukraine

In 2011, psychiatrist Erik Hoencamp invited Petra to join a visit to Ukraine. She accepted — and never stopped coming back. Since then, Petra has travelled to Zakarpattia several times every year, together with SOFT tulip and Parnassia teams, as well as independently.

“I always say I’m going to Ukraine to recharge my batteries. I come back physically exhausted, but emotionally full of energy.”

Although she helps train professionals, Petra’s favourite moments are spent directly with people. She visits the residential care institutions in Mukachevo and Turya Remeta, where hundreds of adults with intellectual disabilities and mental health conditions live.

“When I arrive, I barely have time to get out of the car before I hear people shouting, ‘Petra! Petra!’ They run to hug me. It feels like coming home.”

She often brings simple gifts — beads, games, music — and spends hours making bracelets, walking together, or simply talking.

“Sometimes I joke that I have 320 children in Turya Remeta. That’s how connected I feel to them.”

The power of dreams

For Petra, meaningful care starts with one simple question:

What is your dream?

She recalls speaking with one man who wanted to return to his hometown.

“We sat down and made a plan together. What needs to happen before you can go home? You need permission. Your behaviour has to improve. You need money for the bus ticket. How can you save that money? Maybe by buying fewer cigarettes.”

The goal wasn’t simply to solve a practical problem.

“Making plans and talking about dreams helps people feel alive again. It reminds them that they still have choices and control over their own lives.”

More than humanitarian aid

Petra often shares stories from Ukraine on her Facebook page. Her message is always the same:

“It’s not about materials, money, or things. It’s about love, attention, and recognition.”

She believes volunteering has changed her just as much as it has changed the people she meets.

“My own life has become richer because of Ukraine.”

Looking ahead

When asked about the future, Petra believes Ukraine’s mental health system is already moving in the right direction—but there is still much work to do.

She strongly supports SOFT tulip’s focus on Early Intervention and deinstitutionalisation.

“The goal should be to reduce the number of institutions. If we invest in Early Intervention and community-based support, fewer people will need institutional care in the future.”

Until that day comes, Petra says she will continue returning to Ukraine as often as she can.

“As long as those institutions exist, I’ll gladly come three times a year to bring attention, love, and warmth. You can see how much people wait for that. Everyone deserves to feel seen.”

For Petra, real care has never been about systems or policies alone. It begins with a handshake, a conversation, and the simple belief that every person matters.