Rene van Collem

About Rene van Collem

René van Collem is the drummer of Doe Maar, a speaker, podcast host, and family counsellor. At the age of eighteen, he was hired by Doe Maar, just as the band was becoming an unprecedented phenomenon in Dutch pop. He played on the albums “Doris Day en andere stukken” and “4US” and drummed on key hits such as “Doris Day”, “Is dit alles”, “De bom”, and “Pa”. In 1982, he performed with the band at Pinkpop. In 2011, René was asked again to be the permanent drummer. This was followed by four sold-out Symphonica in Rosso concerts at the GelreDome, performances in the Ziggo Dome, Pinkpop, and the anniversary tour “Er verandert NIX”, which concluded at the end of 2018 with four concerts at the Royal Theatre Carré.

Behind the great success, another story unfolded. René was addicted for thirty years and gradually lost control over his life. In 2010, he chose to fully recover. To overcome his addiction, he had to relearn how to trust, take responsibility, and connect with himself and others. His experience now forms the basis of his story about resilience, self-belief, and personal leadership: from suffering to leadership.

Since 2015, René has been working in mental health care and in his own practice as a therapist and family counsellor for people with addictions and their loved ones. He wrote columns for LEF Magazine for eight years. In 2014, his autobiography “Heroin Goddammit” was published, its title referencing the Doe Maar song “Heroïne”. In addition, he has hosted the podcast “From Addiction to Freedom” on YouTube and Spotify for four years, with around 200,000 listeners and viewers per month. In it, people speak honestly about their internal struggles and the path to recovery.

As a speaker, René makes tough topics discussable without being judgmental. He inspires people to step out of the shadow of shame and taboo and to honestly look at what is really happening. He connects his experience from the music world, addiction care, and his own recovery with current themes in organisations. Especially in high-pressure work environments, stress, shame, and substance use can remain hidden for a long time. René shows how people can take control of their lives, how to find inner peace without escaping reality, and how down-to-earth spirituality can help to live and work more firmly and humanely.