For Wietske Dijkstra, researcher within the Healthcare & Innovation in Psychiatry professorship, dialogue with vulnerable people is of great importance. With her research, as with her work as a therapist, she wants to be able to help vulnerable people.

'I trained as a creative therapist, and have worked for a long time as a part-time psychiatric treatment group therapist for GGZ and Antonius Ziekenhuis Sneek. In 2009, I started working in education. I'm now a Social Work lecturer, and an IAG (intensive outpatient family care) lecturer and developer. I completed the Contextual Healthcare Master’s programme in 2014, and systemic therapist training in 2016. In addition to teaching, I have my own practice: "WijZijn de praktijk", a practice for couples and family therapy in Leeuwarden.' 

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Wietske Dijkstra

Making a difference via research

'My most important research subject is people exhibiting confused behaviour. I'm also involved in a project whose goal is to boost employment among people with psychological disorders.  The thing that appeals to me about this subject is engaging in dialogue with vulnerable people in society. By creating more dialogue, we can create a fairer society in which there is space for everyone, and in which vulnerable people become less isolated and lonely. It's a challenge to be meaningful to psychologically vulnerable people from a different perspective, that of researcher instead of therapist.'