M.E. Roodzant (Maartje)

On September 1, 2024, I began my PhD at the Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen on a project funded by the Dr. Anna Terruwestichting. In her memorable career as a psychiatrist, Dr. Terruwe developed the theory of affirmation (bevestigingsleer), in which she states that affirmation is an essential principle in treatment. She firmly believed that genuine, deeply human encounters are the only way for a person to develop into a human being with a healthy sense of self-esteem. This philosophy of Dr. Terruwe applies not only to the discipline of psychiatry, but can be extended to almost any field. I use conversation analysis to explore how affirmation is effectively communicated through talk-in-interaction, both in on- and offline settings. I am supervised by Prof. Wyke Stommel (RU), Dr. Bogdana Huma (VU), and Dr. Marie Rickert (RU).