Biography
Femke L. Truijens is Assistant Professor Clinical Psychology, conducting interdisciplinary research on the borderline of clinical psychology, methodology and philosophy of science.
Dr. Truijens focuses on the most basic but often overlooked questions of clinical research: What counts as evidence? Are data automatically valid when collected by validated measures? How do people actually quantify their experienced complaints when they score symptom measures? And how are therapeutic changes captured by aggregated pre-post differences? By taking a qualitative stance to quantitative data collection, dr. Truijens explores clinical validity in clinical research. In her PhD at Ghent University, Belgium, she analysed empirical data from the Ghent Psychotherapy Study (a mixed-method RCT on differential efficacy of cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic treatment for depression) to study validity of data and evidence in randomized controlled therapy research. At ESSB, she conducts a stakeholder study on how validity is understood and secured in Routine Outcome Measurement in the Dutch GGZ. She develops and teaches Severe Mental Illness in Urban Contexts, which explores pluralist perspectives on diagnostics and the recovery paradigm. Dr. Truijens initiated and chairs the Qualitative Research Collective GGZ in The Netherlands, and initiated and chairs the international SPR interest group Evidence for Guidelines. In her private practice, dr. Truijens provides psychotherapy for gifted adults and adolescents with mental health issues.
Research Interests: Validity, Patient-reported measurement, response shifts, routine outcome measurement, psychotherapy research, qualitative & mixed method research, ethics and integrity, reflexivity
Clinical interests: Psychotherapy (psychodynamic, cognitive, narrative), diagnostic systems, patient-centred mental health care (recovery paradigm)
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Onderzoeksinteresses: validiteit, zelfrapportagematen, response shifts, routine outcome measurement, psychotherapieonderzoek, kwalitatief & mixed methodonderzoek, ethiek&integriteit, reflexiviteit
Klinische interesses: psychotherapie (psychodynamisch, cognitief, narratief), psychodiagnostische systemen, herstelgerichte psychiatrie
Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
- truijens@essb.eur.nl
More information
Work
- Pauline W. Jansen, Ivonne P.M. Derks, Judith van Russen Groen, Jeffrey van der Starre, Joran Jongerling, Hans W. Hoek, Machteld Wery & Femke Truijens (2026) - Qualitative Feasibility and Usability Study of an Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) Smartphone Application in Binge Eating Disorder Treatment - Nutrients, 18 (18) - doi: 10.3390/nu18183046 - [link]
- Sashank Nyapati, Femke Truijens, Jim van Os & Erik W. Baars (2026) - Classifying and Understanding Worldviews in Mental Health: A Scoping Review - Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 57 (3), 457-483 - doi: 10.1177/00220221251406577
- Juliet Godthelp, Marjolijn Heerings, Annemarie Köhne, Arjen Noordhof, Femke Truijens, Laura Nooteboom & Carlijn Welten (2026) - Addressing the complexity of recovery beyond reductionist, diagnosis‑driven care: a realist evaluation of a family-centered, narrative-based child and adolescent psychiatry practice - BMC Psychiatry, 26 (1) - doi: 10.1186/s12888-026-07933-1 - [link]
- Olivia F. Ward, Leontine W. ten Hoopen, Bruno Bocanegra, Femke L. Truijens, Kirstin Greaves-Lord, Kirsten Visser, Wietske A. Ester, Dennis Bastiaansen, Elisabeth H.M. Van Rijen & Linda P. Dekker (2026) - Exploring the unique impact of COVID-19 measures on autistic child development and parenting stress: comparing two cohorts in The Netherlands - Advances in Autism, 12 (1), 26-41 - doi: 10.1108/AIA-06-2025-0060 - [link]
- Linde Hooijman, Ruth Van der Hallen, Anneke Louwerse, Kirsten Visser, Dennis Bastiaansen, Wietske Ester, Elisabeth H. M. van Rijen, , Femke L. Truijens & Linda P. Dekker (2026) - Parent-reported autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptomatology of children with ASD during the COVID-19 pandemic: a 1.5-year longitudinal study - International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 72 (7), 1553–1565 - doi: 10.1080/20473869.2024.2418166 - [link]
- Clair A. Enthoven, Hanan El Marroun, Simone Griesbergen, Femke Truijens, Hilmar H. Bijma & Pauline W. Jansen (2025) - Perspectives on Contraceptives: Insights From Care Providers and Women With Lived Experiences of Unintended Pregnancy in the Netherlands - Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 57 (3), 350-357 - doi: 10.1111/psrh.70030 - [link]
- Elisabeth H.M. van Rijen, Olivia F. Ward, Femke L. Truijens, Ruth Van der Hallen, Anneke Louwerse, Kirsten Visser, Dennis Bastiaansen, Leontine W. Ten Hoopen, Wietske Ester, Linde Hooijman, Laura C. Bijvank, Iris S.A. van den Heuvel, Rosanne Leeflang & Linda P. Dekker (2025) - Experiences of parenting stress in caring for children with autism spectrum disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands - International Journal of Developmental Disabilities - doi: 10.1080/20473869.2025.2480656 - [link]
- Clemens Boy, Femke L. Truijens, Anneke Louwerse, Kirsten Visser, Dennis Bastiaansen, Wietske A. Ester, Elisabeth H.M. Van Rijen, Ruth Van der Hallen & Linda P. Dekker (2025) - Stability of emotional and behavioral problems in autistic children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic - Advances in Autism, 11 (2), 114-129 - doi: 10.1108/AIA-04-2024-0029 - [link]
- Donna A. de Maat, Ruth Van der Hallen, Pieter F.A. de Nijs, Kirsten Visser, Dennis Bastiaansen, Femke L. Truijens, Elisabeth H.M. van Rijen, Wietske Ester, Peter Prinzie, Pauline W. Jansen & Linda P. Dekker (2025) - Children with autism spectrum disorder in times of COVID-19:: Examining emotional and behavioral problems, parental well-being, and resilience. - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 55 (2), 752-763 - doi: 10.1007/s10803-022-05846-y - [link]
- L ten Hoopen, Femke Truijens & Linda Dekker (2024) - Opgroeien met ASS tijdens corona - GZ - Psychologie, 16, 26-32 - doi: 10.1007/s41480-024-1821-y
- Linda Dekker, Femke Truijens, Susan van Rijen & Ruth Van der Hallen (25 August 2022) - Impact van COVID-19 op gezinnen met kinderen met ASS: De impact op ouders & blik op de toekomst. [Webinar]
- LP (Linda) Dekker, FL (Femke) Truijens, L.W.E. (Linde) Hooijman & RER (Ruth) Van der Hallen (10 December 2021) - The impact of COVID-19 on families with children with ASD – Implications for (mental) health care and educational professionals. (WEBINAR)
- Femke Truijens (2022) - Trends in Guideline Development and Implementation of Psychotherapy in Mental Health Care Systems - Dr Felicitas Rost & Dr Femke Truijens (Speaker)
Activity: Invited talk › Academic - Femke Truijens (2022) - Trends in guideline development and implementation of psychotherapy in mental health care systems. (Speaker)
Activity: Oral presentation › Academic - Femke Truijens (2022) - “In hindsight, I was more depressed than I thought”. Response shifts in psychotherapy research. (Speaker)
Activity: Oral presentation › Academic - Linda Dekker, Linde Hooijman, Ruth Van der Hallen, Anneke Louwerse, K (Kirsten) Visser, Dennis Bastiaansen, L ten Hoopen, Pieter de Nijs, Gwen Dieleman, WA (Wietske) Ester, Susan van Rijen & Femke Truijens (2022) - Care and informational needs of parents of children with ASD during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Speaker)
Activity: Oral presentation › Academic - Femke Truijens (2021) - ‘Numbers are words too’: Taking a qualitative stance on quantitative data collection and measurement validity in psychotherapy research (Speaker)
Activity: Invited talk › Academic - Femke Truijens (2020) - How valid is our understanding of validity in psychotherapy research? (Speaker)
Activity: Invited talk › Academic - Ruth Van der Hallen, Linde Hooijman, Anneke Louwerse, K (Kirsten) Visser, Dennis Bastiaansen, L ten Hoopen, Pieter de Nijs, Gwen Dieleman, WA (Wietske) Ester, Susan van Rijen, Femke Truijens & Linda Dekker (2020) - The impact of COVID-19 on children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and their families (Speaker)
Activity: Oral presentation › Academic - Femke Truijens (2020) - When questionnaires shape answers. On “the data” as foundation of Evidence-Based Treatment (Speaker)
Activity: Invited talk › Academic - Femke Truijens (2019) - How questionnaires shape answers. On validity and performativity of ‘the data’ in psychotherapeutic research. (Speaker)
Activity: Invited talk › Academic - Femke Truijens (2019) - How valid is our understanding of validity? Discussion on the practical use and limits of validity in psychological research and practice. (Speaker)
Activity: Invited talk › Academic
- Femke Truijens (2023) - Wim Trijsburgprijs
- Femke Truijens (2022) - Impact Journey Erasmus University Rotterdam 2022
- Linda Dekker, Ruth Van der Hallen, Susan van Rijen & Femke Truijens (2021) - Closing webinar on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families with children with autism spectrum disorder
- LP (Linda) Dekker, RER (Ruth) Van der Hallen, EHM (Susan) van Rijen, FL (Femke) Truijens, K (Kirsten) Visser, S.C. (Anneke) Louwerse & D Bastiaansen (2020) - ZonMW – COVID-19 second wave focus area 2 – Bottom up
- Femke Truijens (2020) - Most Valuable Contribution to the Integration of Science and Practice in Psychology
PsyHB \ Psychotherapie voor hoogbegaafde (jong)vol
- Start date approval
- September 2026
- End date approval
- September 2029
- Place
- DEN HAAG/AMSTERDAM
- Description
- Psychotherapie privé-praktijk
ESSB Information - Master PSY - C
- Year
- 2026
- Course Code
- ESSB-MP-C
4.1 Severe Mental Illness and Recovery
- Year
- 2026
- Course Code
- ESSB-MP4000
4.2 Qualitative Research in Psychology
- Year
- 2026
- Course Code
- ESSB-MP9010
