Research: Trauma and Narrative

My research focused on aspects of traumatic stress, defined broadly. Much of the research had a narrative focussuch as the Narrative Life Interview (NLI), a new interview technique that draws on Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) and on life story techniques. It focuses not on a person’s whole life, but on key transitions. I worked with refugees, veterans, university students and other groups on this topic.

We also used NET with Saudi firefighters, Iraqi civilians, Chinese earthquake survivors and abused women in India (several articles were used in developing NICE Guidelines for the treatment of PTSD). We also developed a number of interventions including for Iraqi civilians post-war, dealing with the mothers of children with cancer and for veterans with PTSD. Other narrative studies have focused on Indian widows, exploring the use of master narratives in Communist Czechoslovakia, and trauma in Bosnian War survivors.

I supervised nearly 40 PhD students, along with a number of DForenPsy and DClinPsy students. This was a truly international endeavour, with PhD students from Bosnia, Germany, Italy, Greece, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Ghana, Kenya, India, China, Taiwan and Chile, along with a few from the UK. I also supervised over 200 MSc students.

Apart from my books, I published around 80 research papers.