Femke L. Truijens

Femke L. Truijens is an Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology at the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, where she is affiliated with the Methods & Skills department. Her work bridges clinical psychology, methodological innovation, and philosophy of science, with a focus on the validity of patient-reported outcomes and routine outcome measurement in mental health care.

• PhD from Ghent University, Belgium

Dr. Truijens’ research centers on foundational questions in clinical research: what constitutes valid evidence, how patients interpret symptom measures, and how therapeutic change is captured. She employs qualitative and mixed methods to interrogate the assumptions behind quantitative data in psychotherapy. Her work includes longitudinal studies on children with autism during the pandemic and critical analysis of measurement validity in depression treatment. She teaches Severe Mental Illness in Urban Contexts, advocating for pluralist diagnostic approaches and recovery-oriented care.

Her recent publications span topics such as autism spectrum disorder during the pandemic, response shifts in psychotherapy, and the integration of qualitative insights into quantitative research. These works reflect a consistent theme: enhancing the clinical validity and ethical integrity of mental health research through methodological reflexivity.

• Impact Journey Erasmus University Rotterdam (2022)
• Closing webinar on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families with children with ASD (2021)
• Most Valuable Contribution to the Integration of Science and Practice in Psychology (2020)
• ZonMW – COVID-19 second wave focus area 2 – Bottom up Fellowship (2020)

Dr. Truijens has been actively involved in advising and public engagement, particularly through webinars and media contributions on the mental health impact of the pandemic on families with children with ASD. She leads a stakeholder study on Routine Outcome Measurement in the Dutch GGZ and has initiated two key collaborative networks: the Qualitative Research Collective GGZ in the Netherlands and the international SPR interest group Evidence for Guidelines. She also maintains a private practice offering psychotherapy to gifted adults and adolescents.