Education:

High School (HBS-A): 1963-1968, Warffum, The Netherlands.

HEAO (Business School), department of economics and law: 1968-1972, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Clinical Psychology, University of Groningen: 1972-1978.

Training in and application of behavior therapy, London: 1977.

Basic and advanced courses and training in psychotherapy, behavior therapy, strategic therapy and hypnotherapy: 1978-1983.
Jointly, these activities gave way to a state registration as a qualified psychotherapist, behavior therapist and hypnotherapist.

Prolonged training in behavior and hypnotherapy, leading to a qualifica­tion of supervisor and advanced trainer in these fields: 1983-1985.

Training in EMDR, Shapiro, Amsterdam, 1994.

Conduction of dissertation research with Prof. Dr. R. Van Dyck, Department of Psychiatry, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Prof. Dr. O. van der Hart, Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University (1993-December 17th, 1999).

1999, December 17th: Ph.D. cum laude (i.e., with the highest possible honors in the Netherlands) at the Faculty of  Medicine, Vrije Universiteit at Amsterdam.

Experience:

Private psychotherapy practice, 1978-present.

Free lance psychotherapist with several institutions in the area
of fosterchild and -family care, 1978-1982.

Clinical psychologist/behavior therapist at the Outpatient Department of Child Psychiatry of the Academic Hospital of Groningen, 1980-1982.

Clinical psychologist/psychotherapist at the Outpatient Department of the ­GGZ Drenthe (Mental Health Care Drenthe), Assen, The Netherlands, 1982-present.

Chairman of the psychotherapeutic disciplines, 1989-1993, and coordinator of the behavior therapy and hypnotherapy branch of this department, 1989-2003.

Coordinator of the psychotherapists in training at GGZ Drenthe, 1989-1993.

Researcher at the Department of Psychiatry, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1993-1997.

Researcher at the Cats-Polm Institute for research into chronic traumatization, Zeist, 1998-2004.

Supervisor in the fields of behavior therapy, hypnotherapy and strategic therapy with professionals in The Netherlands and Belgium, 1985-present, and various institutions (Psycho­logen Kollektief Groningen, Polikliniek Stichting Nieuw Hooghul­len, Groningen, Kern, Belgium), 1992-1999.

Main teacher and coordinator of courses in strategic therapy for RINO-Noord, Groningen, 1990-91.

Singular or main teacher and coordinator of several courses on diagnosis and treat­ment of dissociative disorders, 1991-present.

Chair of the Trauma Hospital Committee which is dedicated to the assessment, treatment-planning and -evaluation of cases of chronic traumatization, as well as hospital policy-development regarding the assessment and treatment of these patients, 1995-present.

Co-founder and co-director of Psychotraumatology Institute Europe (PIE; www.psychotraumatology-institute-europe.com), dedicated to providing educational services and promoting research in the field of chronic traumatization, 2005-present.

Former Director Executive Council International Society for the Study of Dissociation, ISSD, Northbrook, USA, 2002-2005.
Former Co-director of the Center for the Study of Chronic Traumatization and Resilience at the International Society for the Study of Dissociation.
Member Organizational Committee first conference of the European Society for Trauma and Dissociation (ESTD), Amsterdam, 2008.

Consultant Landelijk Centrum Chronische Kindermishandeling (LCVT; National Center Chronic Childhood Traumatization), from 2006.
Chair International Scientific Adisory Board LCVT, from 2007.

Current positions
Clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and researcher at the Outpatient Department of GGZ Drenthe, Assen.
Private practice (patient care, supervision, education, writing).
Co-director Center for the Study of Chronic Traumatization and Resilience at ISSD, Northbrook, USA.
Co-director of Psychotraumatology Institute Europe, Duisburg, Germany—Assen, The Netherlands.
Member of the ISSD committee on Certification.
Reviewer of various scientific journals, including the Journal of Traumatic Stress, and the Journal of Trauma and Dissociation. 

Awards:

Literature Award Nederlandse Vereniging voor Hypnose 1992 for the article “Leertherapie als kader en hypnose als hulpmiddel bij de behandeling van ernstige dissociatieve stoornissen” in the journal Trans. Morton Prince Award for Scientific Achievement 1998 of the International Society for the Study of Dissociation for outstanding research into the field of dissociation.

Pierre Janet Writing Award 2000 of the International Society for the Study of Dissociation for the book Somatoform Dissociation: Phenomena, Measurement, and Theoretical Issues.

Fellow of the International Society of the Study of Dissociation, November 11, 2002.

Appointed by the Dutch Queen as Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion for his outstanding clinical, educational and scientific activities in the field of chronic traumatization. September 3, 2004. 

David Caul Memorial Award 2005 for the article: Reinders, A.A.T.S., Nijenhuis, E.R.S., Quak, J., Korf, J., Paans, A.M.J., Haaksma, J., Willemsen, A.T.M., & Den Boer, J. (2006, also published in Reinders, A.A.T.S. (2005) From Methods to Meaning. Groningen: Groningen University). Psychobiological characteristics of dissociative identity disorder: A symptom provocation study. 

Media Award 2006 from the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation for the book The Haunted Self: Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization, together with Onno van der Hart and Kathy Steele.

Memberships:

Dutch Society of Psychologists (NIP)
Dutch Society for Behavior Therapy (VGt)
Dutch Society for Hypnosis (Nvvh)
Dutch Society of Psychotherapy (NVP)
Dutch Society of Psychotherapists in Private Practice (NVVP)
European Society of Trauma and Dissociation (ESTD) [the establishment of this society was initiated by Aquarone (UK), Hughes (UK), Nijenhuis (NL), and Somer (Israel)
International Society for the Study of Trauma and ­Dis­sociation (ISSTD)
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS)

A former member of several committees of the Dutch Society of Hypnothera­py (Nvvh)

Member of the Program Committee of the 17th and 18th International Fall Conference of the International Society for the Study of Dissociation

Member of the organizational committee of the First Internaltion Conference f the European Society of Trauma and Dissociation, Amsterdam, April 17-19, 2008

Development of the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20/SDQ-5). In collaboration with R. Van Dyck, O. Van der Hart, P. Spinhoven, J. Vanderlinden.

Development of the Peritraumatic Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-P). In collaboration with O. Van der Hart, A. van Engen, I. Kusters.

Construction of the Traumatic Experiences Checklist, a self-reporting questionnaire (TEC, Nijenhuis, Van der Hart, & Vanderlinden).

Symptom provocation study of dissociative identity disorder (with Reinders et al.).

Subliminal processing of angry faces in dissociative identity disorder: a controlled study (with Hermans et al.).

Ongoing and intended research projects

Dissociative personality-dependent psychophysiological reactions to neutral and traumatic scripts in dissociative identity disorder and matched controls using Positron Emission Tomography and ECG. In cooperation with A.A.T.S. Reinders, H. Vos, Prof. Dr. J. Korf, and Prof. Dr. J.A. den Boer (Department of Psychiatry, Groningen University). Patients and matched controls have been selected and scanned. Research articles on the findings in patients have been completed. Data analysis on the controls is in progress (MHC Drenthe)

Assessment of hippocampal volume using MRI in dissociative identity disorder and matched controls. In collaboration with T. Ehling (Mental Health Care, Drenthe) and A. Krikke (Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis, Assen). All patients have been tested and the scans have been analysed. Paper in preparation. (MHC Drenthe)

Assessment of hippocampal volume using MRI in dissociative disorder nor otherwise specified. In collaboration with T. Ehling and A. Krikke. Measurements have been performed. (MHC Drenthe)

Assessment of hippocampal volume using MRI in fully recovered cases of dissociative identity disorder. In collaboration with T. Ehling, and A. Krikke. Measurements have been performed and data have been analysed. Article in preparation. (MHC Drenthe)

Fantasy proneness in patients with complex dissociative disorders: Coping with chronic abuse and neglect. With T. Ehling. Data collection is in progress.  

Assessment of parahippocampal gyrus in DID, DDNOS, and recovered DID. With T. Ehling, and A. Krikke. Data are currently analyzed.

Provocation and modification of animal defense-like reaction patterns in patients with dissociative disorders: A controlled psychophysiological study. With H. Matthess (University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany, A. Kirsch (University of Saarland, Saarbrücken, Germany), and M. Sack, University of Munich. Data collection is in progress.

Assessment of brain structures volume in patients with dissociative disorders: amygdala, corpus callosum, prefrontal cortex, and other brain areas. With T. Ehling, A. Krikke, and J. den Boer.

Quantitative EEG profiles for different parts of the personality in dissociative identity disorder. With Dr. G. Wirtz, Universität von Bern. Study protocol is completed, Grant request submitted.

Phobia of dissociative parts of the personality in dissociative identity disorder: A functional MRI study. With Dr. C. Müller, Universität von Zürich, Switzerland. Grant application submitted.

Mental actions regarding subliminal perceived threat cues in dissociative identity disorder: A functional MRI study. With Prof. Dr. Jäncke and Mrs. Y. Schlumpf (Zürich University). Grant application submitted.

Longitudinal assessment of hippocampal volume in women with dissociative identity disorder across treatment and follow-up. With Prof. Dr. W. Senf, Dr. E. Gizewski, and Dr. A. Möllering (Universität von Essen / Duisburg, Germany). Study protocol is under development.