Since 2023, I have been working for the University of Humanistic Studies and Stichting Erwelzijn on a research project funded by the Dutch agency ZonMw.
This project is part of the subsidy call titled "Embrace Complexity and Strengthen Resilience."
This project is part of the subsidy call titled "Embrace Complexity and Strengthen Resilience."
The research project provides insights into the complex factors that influence everyday resilience. I focus particularly on life events related to loss, such as the death of a partner or child, illness, or becoming an informal caregiver.
The insights from this project are used to create practical methods and guidelines for professionals, volunteers, and anyone interested in learning how to apply timely and effective resilience-building strategies.
The insights from this project are used to create practical methods and guidelines for professionals, volunteers, and anyone interested in learning how to apply timely and effective resilience-building strategies.
So, grab a tea or coffee !And scroll here to read about the methods developed and being used in this project to generate such knowledge.
Collaborative Research with Volunteer Co-Researchers
A key part of my work on this project involves collaborating with volunteer co-researchers. Together, we conduct interviews across three Dutch municipalities to explore how resilience manifests in everyday life, particularly during and after significant life events like loss.
I work with 45 volunteer co-researchers, and our goal is to gather insights from 360 interviews. As a facilitator and trainer, I support the volunteers in developing our understanding pf resilience together and practicing mindful listening. After the interviews, we come together to discuss our findings and share experiences.
A key part of my work on this project involves collaborating with volunteer co-researchers. Together, we conduct interviews across three Dutch municipalities to explore how resilience manifests in everyday life, particularly during and after significant life events like loss.
I work with 45 volunteer co-researchers, and our goal is to gather insights from 360 interviews. As a facilitator and trainer, I support the volunteers in developing our understanding pf resilience together and practicing mindful listening. After the interviews, we come together to discuss our findings and share experiences.
What makes this process special is that it goes beyond my own perspective on resilience. We’re capturing the viewpoints of 45 volunteers, along with insights from the many people they interview. This diversity sometimes leads to disagreements or differences in opinion, which we welcome. These moments provide opportunities to explore, reflect, and deepen our understanding of resilience.
Through this collaboration, we are not just learning about resilience—we are discovering how to talk about it in ways that resonate with everyone involved.
These conversations help build a shared understanding of resilience.
Through this collaboration, we are not just learning about resilience—we are discovering how to talk about it in ways that resonate with everyone involved.
These conversations help build a shared understanding of resilience.
INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL
ANALYSIS (IPA)
Another essential element of this project is implementing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a research methodology that helps us understand how people make sense of important life experiences.
For IPA, I personally conduct 3–4 in-depth interviews with each participant. Multiple interviews allow trust to build and give participants time to reflect between sessions, enabling deeper conversations about their experiences.
I focus on topics like losing a loved one, becoming ill, or becoming an informal caregiver, exploring how individuals perceive resilience in these situations.
I ask questions such as:
How do you experience these challenges?
What helps you, and what doesn't?
Does this look different over time?
What sets this methodology apart is its strong emphasis on the researcher's active role in interpreting participants' perspectives—a concept known in research as the ‘double hermeneutic’.
This means I’m not just collecting data; I’m actively engaging with how participants understand their experiences. I start by describing their experiences in detail to capture their perspectives. Then, I continuously reflect on both my interpretations and those of the participants, considering what this means for our research questions.
Unlike methods that try to minimise the researcher’s influence, IPA recognises and makes transparent the collaborative process of understanding between researcher and participant.
In summary, IPA deeply explores how individuals navigate significant life challenges by fostering trust and mutual reflection, ensuring both participant and researcher insights contribute to a richer understanding of resilience.
POSTCARDS:
LET’S TALK
Together with volunteer co-researchers, I use 200 postcards with random images.
I ask participants to select the ones that, for them, represent resilience or important aspects of it.
This takes place in small groups of 6 to 8 people, focusing on creating a comfortable, welcoming space. Participants first choose their images in silence, followed by a group discussion about their choices.
The exercise highlights what stands out for each person, and we collectively decide which images represent resilience.
This process helps us find common ground while exploring differences in an open, trusting space.
TRY IT OUT?
your LIFE story:
LET’S LISTEN
I use Erwelzijn’s life event card set to support volunteer interviewers as they prepare for interviews.
In this exercise, each volunteer creates their own lifeline using the cards and has 15 minutes to share their story while their listening partner listens attentively. Then, they switch roles.
At first glance, the task seems simple—the speaker talks, and the listener listens. In practice, it is not easy. Listeners may resonate with parts of the story or feel unexpected emotions, making it difficult not to jump in. The goal is to speak as little as possible, stay mindful of reactions, and focus on the person sharing.
This exercise is an effective way to practice attentive listening and appreciate how challenging it can be. It is also meaningful for the speaker, knowing they’ll be heard without interruption.
After each participant has had a chance to both speak and listen, we gather as a group to share our experiences.
LET’S LISTEN
I use Erwelzijn’s life event card set to support volunteer interviewers as they prepare for interviews.
In this exercise, each volunteer creates their own lifeline using the cards and has 15 minutes to share their story while their listening partner listens attentively. Then, they switch roles.
At first glance, the task seems simple—the speaker talks, and the listener listens. In practice, it is not easy. Listeners may resonate with parts of the story or feel unexpected emotions, making it difficult not to jump in. The goal is to speak as little as possible, stay mindful of reactions, and focus on the person sharing.
This exercise is an effective way to practice attentive listening and appreciate how challenging it can be. It is also meaningful for the speaker, knowing they’ll be heard without interruption.
After each participant has had a chance to both speak and listen, we gather as a group to share our experiences.
We discuss what we have learned and how this practically shapes the way we want to approach interviews—especially given that the interview participants share personal, often emotional stories
Would you like to experience this in workshop form? With colleagues, students, or even with friends for example? That is possible!
Follow this link to Erwelzijns website for details.
Would you like to experience this in workshop form? With colleagues, students, or even with friends for example? That is possible!
Follow this link to Erwelzijns website for details.
You can also of course always contact me if you are interested in applying this game in a collaborative research context.
Contact me
Contact me
the forest metaphor
Together with the co-researchers, I use a set of cards illustrated by Marielle Schuurman to explore our collaboration in the research project through the metaphor of a forest.
Together with the co-researchers, I use a set of cards illustrated by Marielle Schuurman to explore our collaboration in the research project through the metaphor of a forest.
This exercise encourages us to listen to each other's perspectives and also helps us review practical aspects of research such as data management, privacy, interview question lists, and tips and tricks.
The forest metaphor makes it easier to connect with who we are in the project, why we’re doing it, and how we can grow together.
The card set, "Samenwerken als een bos," was co-created with 110 local networks as part of the Dynamic Knowledge Synthesis by Leiden University Medical Center for ZonMw.
The forest metaphor makes it easier to connect with who we are in the project, why we’re doing it, and how we can grow together.
The card set, "Samenwerken als een bos," was co-created with 110 local networks as part of the Dynamic Knowledge Synthesis by Leiden University Medical Center for ZonMw.
During this exercise we discuss different elements of the forest, accompanied by questions, such as:
- Ground: How is our foundation? What "nutrients" in the soil keep the project and collaboration healthy?
- Roots: What are the key connections between organizations and team members across the three municipalities?
- Trees: How strong or vulnerable do we feel? What helps us stand stronger?
- Seeds: What ideas or research questions are we planting? How can we help them grow?
- Fruits: What are our hopes and expected outcomes?
- Animals: Who else belongs in this forest? Who is part of the project or can benefit from the research findings?
- Diversity: Do we have a variety of perspectives in the project?
- Climate: Are the conditions around our project’s network supportive, in terms of policy and societal issues?
- Ownership: Who "owns" this forest? Do we feel a sense of ownership over the project?
You can always contact me if you wish to discuss using these cards in a research project setting.
team & our roots
At the University of Humanistic Studies (UvH), I work with my PhD promotor, Prof. Anja Machielse, and co-promotor, Dr. Alistair Niemeijer, who supervise the research and ensure its quality.
I also collaborate with Stichting Erwelzijn, alongside Bram Buiting and Dr. Rob Bisseling, who continuously support bridging scientific knowledge to practice in designing and improving workshops, trainings, presentations, newsletters, etc.
The municipality of Lochem is the roots of this project lie. Welzijn Lochem is where the ideas behind Stichting Erwelzijn and this research project began to take shape. It’s also where the first collaborative research group on resilience was held in 2021, before this research project started.
Together we work with several Dutch social welfare and health care organizations.
This research project would not be possible without these organisations.
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