Charissa van Edgom – House of Mila

“Miracles happen with our own efforts,” believes Charissa van Edgom, the founder of House of Mila.

Charissa left her medical work in the Netherlands to be with her husband in Spain; here her daughter and her professional practice were born. Back in her home country, Charissa worked as a clinical psychiatrist and was faced with a demanding work environment, which at one time, left her physically wounded. 

“I was physically abused by a patient. I had to stop working to recover and when I came back I asked to be placed in a different department but my request was declined.” Charissa shared how vulnerable she felt but revealed that “it was not the fault of the patient.” 

This was not the first case in Charissa´s life in which she had to show immense strength: “I had a difficult childhood. When I was 14 years old I faced the faults of the healthcare system. I felt abandoned. Everyone needs someone who says that they´re here for you.” 

Since moving to Spain, Charissa continued to be that someone. Two years ago, Charissa gave birth to her daughter, Mila. At the same time, she founded her practice, House of Mila. 

“House of Mila came to me in a dream, “Mila” translates to “wonder” in Spanish”, shared Charissa. With House of Mila, Charissa works with patients in English and Dutch to help them heal from trauma and learn to love life again.

“House of Mila is symbolic; I want people to feel at home when I work with them. And the rooms of the house are representative of the different parts of yourself which you have to face.” 

She emphasised the potential for happiness in all of us: “In most cases, when people are mentally unwell it’s because life happens. But life can happen again; the better parts of it.”

Find out more about House of Mila here.