Clinical Forensic Psychology and Victimology

This is the only international programme that

• combines clinical forensic psychology and victimology;
• integrates offender and victim perspectives;
• prepares you for research and practice with offenders and victims of violence and crime.

Besides giving you the knowledge and skills to obtain a position as a psychologist in several fields, our master's also gives you a solid foundation for postgraduate study and training in clinical psychology, forensic psychology and victimology.

Options for advanced training in clinical (forensic) psychology:

In The Netherlands (Dutch language programs only)

• "Gezondheidszorgpsycholoog” (2 year programme);
• "Klinisch psycholoog” (3 year programme on top of the “gezondheidszorgpsycholoog” training).

In Germany (German language programs only)

• Licensure as “Psychologische/Psychotherapeut/in” (3 year full-time or 5 year part-time) to get paid by the statutory health insurance;
• Licensure “Heilpraktiker Psychotherapie” (HPG, no extra requirements) to be legally allowed to treat patients, but not eligible to get paid by the statutory health insurance.

• The Dutch postmaster's training program for “gezondheidszorgpsycholoog”
  You can check requirements about the postmaster's clinical training in the Netherlands at https://www.rug.nl/gmw/masters/psychology/postmaster/;
• The German postmaster's training program “Psychologische/Psychotherapeut/in".

Career services BSS
Where do you want to work after this master? You can contact Career Services already during your studies. They will help you orientate on your career, develop your skills, apply for jobs and find an internship.

The programme gives you the knowledge and skills to obtain a position in the field of: (forensic) mental health care, penitentiary institutions, victim support services, offender-victim mediation, educational settings, social work, crime prevention.

Teaching in this master's programme is inspired by the contributors' research projects on a wide variety of psychological phenomena and processes that are central in the field of clinical forensic psychology and victimology, such as:

• risk for re-offending;
• complicated grief and victim support;
• memory and trauma;
• trauma and dissociation, deception and malingering, sexual interest and sexual deviance;
• addictions, aggression, revenge, and forgiveness.

We collaborate with mental health institutions such as the in- and outpatient clinic GGZ-Drenthe (e.g., psychotic disorders section), the in- and outpatient facilities of Verslavingszorg Noord Nederland (e.g., addictions), FPC Dr S. van Mesdag in Groningen, Forensisch Psychiatrische Kliniek in Assen, AFPN in Leeuwarden (e.g., forensic psychiatric care), and Fier Fryslan (e.g., trauma). Professionals from these institutions also teach in the master's, and share their knowledge and experience on, for instance, risk assessment in violent offenders (Dr. Marinus Spreen, FPC Dr S. van Mesdag, Stenden University), motivating change (Dr. Eric Blaauw, VNN, Hanzehogeschool Groningen).

Teaching staff

Judith K. Daniels , Associate Professor
Expertise: posttraumatic stress disorder, dissociation, neuroimaging, trauma therapy.
Teaching in the master's: crime & psychological vulnerability (theme cycles of violence); crime & psychological assessment and intervention (themes prostitution, risk of (re-)victimization, clinical forensic skills (themes stabilization techniques and trauma confrontation techniques), master's thesis research supervision.
Research: Judith’s research focuses on the long-term consequences of childhood trauma. She combines neurobiological methods such as neuroimaging (fMRI) with behavioural and self-report methods. She is also trained in trauma therapy and passes on her clinical knowledge in the master’s practical [link here pointing to PSMFV-1). One of her research interests therefore is also how therapists cope with listening to their patients' trauma narratives and if they experience 'secondary traumatization'.

Rafaele J.C. Huntjens , Associate Professor
Expertise: dissociative disorders, trauma, memory.
Teaching in the master's: crime & psychological assessment and intervention (theme deception and malingering), capita selecta experimental psychopathology: dissociative amnesia, master’s thesis research supervision.
Research: The main focus in Rafaele’s work is on cognitive and behavioural processes in trauma-related disorders (dissociative disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder), with a special emphasis on memory processes.

Ineke Wessel , Associate professor
Expertise: emotional memory, recovered memories, eyewitnesses, psychology and law.
Teaching in the master's: crime & psychological vulnerability (theme eyewitness memory), crime & psychological assessment and interventions (theme effects of therapy on memory), master's thesis research supervision.
Research: Ineke’s research focuses on the reconstructive nature of memory, including emotional memory. Interests include the question of how therapeutic interventions or interactions with co-witnesses might influence memory consistency.