Last year, I visited the Forensic and Clinical Cognition Lab for six months to complete my Master’s thesis as part of my clinical and research-focused program in the Netherlands. During my studies in Berlin and Maastricht, I have become particularly interested in memory and trauma-associated disorders, like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dysfunctional memory processes. As our memory and past experiences constantly form our cognitions and emotions, I find understanding their mechanisms crucial for improving and developing treatment.

After successfully obtaining my degree in Clinical Psychology last August, I continue to be part of the research project about prospective memory and PTSD symptoms in the Takarangi Lab. In this study, we are investigating how PTSD symptoms relate to difficulties remembering future intentions. Evidence for the association of PTSD with this type of memory – prospective memory – remains mixed, depending on the assessment method. Thus, we developed a novel paradigm to investigate this relationship in real life. Because people with PTSD often have negative beliefs about themselves and their memory ability, we also examine their influence.

Currently, I am following the clinical training pathway to become a psychotherapist in Germany. But since my heart continues to beat for research, I am also a research assistant at the Institute of Psychology at Goethe-University Frankfurt.