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UT research shows how personal life stories can support treatment and personal recovery. Who are you, what has shaped you, and how do you see your future? For people with personality disorders, these questions can play an important role in their recovery. Ph.D. research by clinical psychologist and psychotherapist Silvia Pol shows that paying attention to personal life stories can help guide treatment decisions and support personal recovery.

On Friday, Oct. 30, Pol, who works at GGNet, defended her Ph.D. thesis at the University of Twente.

The way people tell their life stories provides insight into how they see themselves, their relationships and their future. Pol developed a checklist that enables therapists to systematically analyze life stories. This information can help therapists better understand their clients' needs and make appropriate treatment decisions. Pol also investigated how life stories change during intensive psychotherapy. After treatment, participants reported greater autonomy and improved relationship quality.

Recovery from personality disorders involves more than reducing psychological symptoms. It is also about regaining a sense of control over one's life, developing a more positive self-image and finding new meaning in personal experiences.

To support this process, Pol worked with biographical coach Renée Rosenboom and Gerben Westerhof, professor of narrative psychology at the University of Twente, to develop a recovery-oriented group intervention called Een sterk verhaal (A Strong Story).

In this approach, participants explore and work on their own life stories.

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