HeldFri 30 Oct 2026,
Life Stories and Personality Disorders - Constructing a narrative identity that supports personal recovery
People with personality disorders, and how rewriting their life stories can guide therapy and help them recover.
Recording not yet available
The defense
From the University of Twente agenda
- When
- Fri 30 Oct 2026, 90 min
- Where
- University of Twente, NetherlandsFaculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
- Fields
- Supervisors
- C.H.C. DrossaertFaculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
- F.E. ScheepersUtrecht Medical Centre
- H. ToivonenFranklin University, Switzerland
- Language
- English
- Recording
- Recording not yet available
About the thesis
The thesis examines life stories and narrative identity in personality disorders, where identity disturbance is defining. It asks how they figure in treatment and recovery.
One part uses life stories for treatment allocation and to track psychotherapeutic change. A checklist was made to assess them and support decisions between supportive and insight-oriented treatment. After intensive psychotherapy, patients became more autonomous and reported more positive relationships.
Another part reviews and develops a narrative intervention for personal recovery. The review found benefits for trauma-related, depressive and anxiety symptoms, but rare use in personality disorders. Participatory research produced An Empowering Story, where groups reconstruct life stories into a coherent, empowering narrative. Initial evaluations indicated improvements in personal recovery and personality pathology.
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Listed from the University of Twente agenda.