A life story can reveal more than a list of symptoms: it can show how a person sees themselves, their relationships and the future they hope to build. At the University of Twente in Enschede, clinical psychologist and psychotherapist Silvia Pol has studied how these stories can help shape care for people with personality disorders.
Personality disorder treatment often aims to reduce distressing symptoms. But recovery can also mean regaining a sense of control, building a more positive view of yourself and finding meaning in what you have lived through. Pol’s research suggests therapists can make room for these goals by paying attention to how people describe their lives.
Pol, who works at GGNet, developed a checklist that therapists can use to examine life stories in a systematic way. The stories can offer clues about clients’ needs and help guide treatment decisions. Pol also studied changes in people’s stories during intensive psychotherapy. After treatment, participants reported greater autonomy and better relationship quality.
To support recovery beyond symptom relief, Pol worked with biographical coach Renée Rosenboom and Gerben Westerhof, a professor of narrative psychology at the University of Twente. Together, they developed a group program called Een sterk verhaal, or A Strong Story. Participants explore their own life stories and reflect not only on difficult experiences, but also on personal strengths, opportunities and hopes for the future.
Early evaluation studies suggest the program responds to participants’ needs. They indicate it may help people understand themselves better, feel more able to shape their lives and form a more coherent and meaningful story about who they are. A case study also suggests the approach can be used in one-to-one therapy, potentially alongside art therapy. These findings are early, and the source does not report a large trial or claim that the program works for everyone.
The aim is not to replace clinical treatment, but to help care reflect the person behind a diagnosis. When therapists learn how someone makes sense of past experiences and imagines the future, they may be better able to respond to that individual’s needs. The approach also recognizes that relationships, hope and personal meaning can matter in recovery alongside changes in symptoms.
Pol defended her Ph.D. thesis at the University of Twente on Friday, Oct. 30. Her work makes a case for giving personal stories a more prominent place in personality disorder care. Further study will be needed to understand how well the group program works over time and for different people. But the research offers a practical starting point: treatment can ask not only what hurts, but also what gives someone direction, connection and a sense of self.