dr. Hester Trompetter

Bio

I am a researcher and lecturer in the field of Psychology, more specifically the crossroads of Medical and Clinical Psychology.

I study if/how psychosocial factors explain differences in quality of life and well-being in the context of (chronic) pain, but also other chronic (somatic) conditions such as cancer, or stress. I am specifically interested in the role of protective psychological factors (such as acceptance, positive emotions, self-compassion) that fosterresilient functioning. How can some individuals achieve high well-being while suffering from pain, fatigue illness and stress? From a applied perspective, I am interested in the effects and working mechanisms of  psychological interventions such as Acceptance & Commitment Therapy and Compassion Focused Therapy.

A line of experiments I currently work on focuses on the potential protective role of positive emotions on pain.

Expertise

My expertise is on psychological factors that help individuals deal effectively with chronic pain and other conditions and achieve a happy, meaningful and engaged life. I received my training as PhD student at the University of Twente. There I focused on the effects and working mechanisms of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy for chronic pain patients in multidisciplinary pain rehabilitation.

I now additionally focus on experimental research to better understand the if, how and why of potential protective, psychosocial factors - such as acceptance and positive emotions - in the context of pain and stress. Methodologies that I apply cover a range from Randomized Controlled Trials to lab-experimental trials, and from observational questionnaire studies to experience sampling and eHealth methodologies.

I regularly teach on ACT and science-based clinical practice to healthcare psychologists in training (GZ-opleiding RINO zuid). My work is  inspired by Positive Psychology.

Teaching

I currently teach in the 2nd year of our Bachelor Program Psychology, where I coordinate our major in Clinical Psychology and coordinate/lecture the course on Personality Disorders in our Dutch and international program. I additionally teach a course in our Research Master on Individual Differences and Assessment. In Advanced Applications: Individual differences, Personality and Health we focus on a range of psychological factors within the fields of Medical and Clinical Psychology that can affect health, such as self-esteem, positive emotions, perfectionism and illness acceptance. Finally, I supervise master thesis in the Medical and Clinical Psychology master programs that often have focus in line with Positive Psychology.

I started teaching at the University at a young age and always enjoy sharing knowledge with students. In my work I apply a coaching approach in which I foster shared responsibilities, autonomy,  mutual collaboration and personal competence of students.

Recent publications

1. Beyond main effects? - Affect level as a moderator in the relation be…

   Maciejewski, D. F., van Roekel, E., Ha, T., de France, K., Lin, L., Lennarz, H., Trompetter, H., Meeus, W., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Branje, S., Hollenstein, T., & Verhagen, M. (2023). Beyond main effects? Affect level as a moderator in the relation between affect dynamics and depressive symptoms. Journal of Emotion and Psychopathology, 1(1), 356-372.

2. Coping with and self-management of chronic painful chemotherapy-induc…

   van de Graaf, D. L., Mols, F., Smeets, T., Trompetter, H. R., & van der Lee, M. L. (2023). Coping with and self-management of chronic painful chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: A qualitative study among cancer survivors. Journal of Cancer Survivorship. Advance online publication.

3. Experiences of cancer survivors with chemotherapy induced peripheral …

   van de Graaf, D. L., Engelen, V., de Boer, A., Vreugdenhil, G., Smeets, T., van der Lee, M. L., Trompetter, H. R., & Mols, F. (2023). Experiences of cancer survivors with chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy in the Netherlands: Symptoms, daily limitations, involvement of healthcare professionals, and social support. Journal of Cancer Survivorship. Advance online publication.

4. Patient centered development of embrace pain - An online acceptance a…

   van de Graaf, D. L., Smeets, T., van der Lee, M. L., Trompetter, H., Baars-Seebregts, A., Borosund, E., Solberg Nes, L., Scheurs, K. M. G., & Mols, F. (2023). Patient centered development of embrace pain: An online acceptance and commitment therapy intervention for cancer survivors with chronic painful chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Acta Oncologica, 62(7), 676-688.

5. Exploring the relationship among dispositional optimism, health-relat…

   Trompetter, H. R., Bonhof, C. S., van de Poll-Franse, L. V., Vreugdenhil, G., & Mols, F. (2022). Exploring the relationship among dispositional optimism, health-related quality of life, and CIPN severity among colorectal cancer patients with chronic peripheral neuropathy. Supportive Care in Cancer, 30(1), 95-104.