Curriculum Vitae
Education and academic degrees
Since 01/2019 Recognized supervisor in psychotherapy for children and adolescents Since 06/2013 Approbation, Licensed Psychotherapist for Children and Adolescents (cognitive-behavioural therapy) 2012 Habilitation & venia legendi in Clinical Psychology, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen 2006 PhD-degree in Psychology, University of Trier & University of Sydney, Australia 2000 Diploma in Psychology, University of Trier Current clinical position
Since 10/2022
Head of the university outpatient psychotherapy clinic, University of Muenster Previous and current scientific positions
Since 10/2022 Full professor (W3) of Clinical Psychology in Children and Adolescents and head of the university outpatient psychotherapy clinic, University of Muenster 08/2015 - 09/2022 Full professor (W2) of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy for Children and Adolescents and head of the university outpatient psychotherapy clinic and postgradual training, University of Trier 2006 - 2015
Postdoctoral student and head of the research team German Pediatric Pain Center, Vestische Kinder- und Jugendklinik Datteln 2004 - 2006 Research and clinical position at the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Aachen 2001 - 2003 PhD Fellowship (DAAD, Christina Barz research grant, Europe-Australia scholarship), Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Sydney, Australia Academic honors and awards
2020 Best thesis award of the German Psychological Association, Interest Group Clinical Psychology in Children and Adolescents for the thesis of Maren Katharina Wallrath (MSc); supervised by T. Hechler 2018, 2020, 2022, 2019 Teaching award of the Fachschaft Psychologie, University of Trier
2019
Best master thesis award of the German Association for Psychological Pain Research and Treatment (DGPSF) for the master thesis of Kim Daniela Opdensteinen, supervised by T. HechlerManagement (experience with project/research leadership)
PI or CO-PI on several (third-party funded) research projects (selection) - PI, DFG (HE5941/4-1; SCHN415/5-1) “Defence response mobilization via interoceptive sensations in children with chronic pain”
- PI, Witten/Herdecke University Internal research fund “The threat from inside:
Interoceptive fear and its treatment in children and adolescents with chronic pain“ - CO-PI, Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH “New ways out of pain“
- Member and applicant of the University Research Priority Program “Psychobiology of
Stress”, Ministry for Science, Rhineland-Palatinate - CO-PI Scientific Research Network PAIN (Pain, Action, Interference); Principal
investigator: Prof. Dr. Geert Crombez, Prof. Dr. Liesbet Goubert (Ghent, Belgien); FWO
Scientific focus areas
Translational Experimental psychophysiological research on interoception in preschoolers,
children and adolescentsTransdiagnostic & psychometrics Experimental psychophysiological research on shared mechanisms between chronic (primary) pain and mental health disorders. Development of new measures, translation and validation studies on existing measures Clinical Randomised controlled trial on interdisciplinary pain treatment for children; (planned) single-case experimental design on transdiagnostic interventions International collaborations
Research collaboration within the Scientific Research Network PAIN (Pain, Action, Interference) with researchers from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Canada and the USA, in Luxemburg (Priv.-Doz. Dr. André Schulz, Dr. Angelika Dierolf), and the USA (associate professor Dr. Laura Simons).
Supervision of students, PhD-students, post-doc candidates
Supervisor of more than 100 bachelor and master theses (psychology), main supervisor of 8 PhD projects (4 finalized, 4 ongoing), mentor of two postdoc researchers.
Teaching
Publications
Research Articles (Journals)
- 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003041. (). "The mere imagination scares me"-evidence for fear responses during mental imagery of pain-associated interoceptive sensations in adolescents with chronic pain. Pain, 165(3), 621–634. doi:
- 10.1007/s00482-024-00793-2. (). Ein Instrument zur Erfassung biopsychosozialer Schmerzkonzepte von Erwachsenen. Der Schmerz, 2024. doi:
- 10.1026/1616-3443/a000692. (). COVID statt Kita: Der anhaltende Einfluss der COVID-19 Pandemie auf die psychische Gesundheit von Vorschulkindern. Zeitschrift fur Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, 52(2). doi:
- 10.3390/children10050814. (). Know Pain, No Pain? Preliminary Testing and Application of a New Tool to Assess Biopsychosocial Pain Concepts in Children. Children, 10(5), 814. doi:
- 10.31234/osf.io/qe8u5. (). Expression of Concern: Sallin et al. (2021), “Separation and not residency permit restores function in resignation syndrome: a retrospective cohort study”. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 32(1), 1–12. doi:
- 10.1026/0942-5403/a000374. (). Ein halbes Leben lang Corona. Kindheit und Entwicklung, 31(2), 91–99. doi:
- 10.1055/a-1895-3534. (). Psychologische Diagnostik primärer chronischer Schmerzen im Kindes- und Jugendalter. Schmerz.Therapie, 5(04), 159–164. doi:
- 10.1007/s00482-021-00551-8. (). Elterliche Reaktionen auf kindliche Schmerzen: Die Rolle von kindlichen und elterlichen Somatisierungs- und Angstsymptomen. Schmerz, 36(1), 39–48. doi:
- (). Folgen der Corona-Pandemie für die psychische Gesundheit von Kita-Kindern. Frühe Kindheit, 3.
- 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108166. (). Interoception in preschoolers: New insights into its assessment and relations to emotion regulation and stress. Biological Psychology, 165, 108166. doi:
- 10.1080/24740527.2021.1914213. (). The role of altered cognitive processing of bodily sensations in pain: A need for innovative and integrative research. Canadian Journal of Pain, 5(2), A3-A33–A33. doi:
- 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002099. (). Altered interoception and its role for the co-occurrence of chronic primary pain and mental health problems in children. Pain, 162(3), 665–671. doi:
- 10.1002/ejp.1512. (). Bottom-up or top-down?: The role of child and parent chronic pain and anxiety in the context of parental catastrophizing and solicitousness. European Journal of Pain, 24(3), 604–616. doi:
- 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.02.001. (). Interoceptive accuracy, emotion recognition, and emotion regulation in preschool children. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 138, 47–56. doi:
- 10.1007/s00482-018-0325-3. (). Elterliche Reaktionen auf kindlichen Schmerz: Analyse der elterlichen Reaktionen auf die Schmerzen ihres Kindes in der deutschen Allgemeinbevölkerung. Schmerz, 32(6), 434–441. doi:
- 10.1097/PR9.0000000000000680. (). Defence response mobilization in response to provocation or imagery of interoceptive sensations in adolescents with chronic pain: a study protocol. Current Pain and Headache Reports, 3(1), e680. doi:
- 10.10102202/ejp. (). Validation of the German fear of pain questionnaire in a sample of children with mixed chronic pain conditions. European Journal of Pain, 21(7), 1224–1233. doi:
- 10.1093/jpepsy/jsw108. (). Do Interoceptive Sensations Provoke Fearful Responses in Adolescents With Chronic Headache or Chronic Abdominal Pain? A Preliminary Experimental Study. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 42(6), 667–678. doi:
- 10.1007/s00482-015-0091-4. (). Schmerzbezogenes Elternverhalten: Mütterliche und väterliche Reaktionen auf die chronischen Schmerzen ihres Kindes und deren Veränderung nach stationärer interdisziplinärer Schmerztherapie. Schmerz, 30(3), 241–247. doi:
- 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01638. (). Why Harmless Sensations Might Hurt in Individuals with Chronic Pain: About Heightened Prediction and Perception of Pain in the Mind. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1638. doi:
- 10.1055/s-0035-1557886. (). Konzeption und Inhaltsvalidierung eines Fragebogens zu Informationsbedürfnissen bezüglich Dienstleistungen und Ansprechpartnern von sehbehinderten Menschen (FIDAS). Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde, 232(12), 1402–1409. doi:
- 10.1542/peds.2014-3319. (). Systematic Review on Intensive Interdisciplinary Pain Treatment of Children With Chronic Pain. Pediatrics, 136(1), 115–127. doi:
- 10.1016/j.pain.2013.09.015. (). Inpatient-based intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment for highly impaired children with severe chronic pain: randomized controlled trial of efficacy and economic effects. Pain, 155(1), 118–128. doi:
- 10.1186/1471-2431-14-262. (). Chronic pain treatment in children and adolescents: less is good, more is sometimes better. BMC Pediatrics, 14, 262. doi:
- 10.1017/S0033291713002481. (). An Internet-based program to enhance motivation to change in females with symptoms of an eating disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Psychological Medicine, 44(9), 1947–1963. doi:
- 10.2196/jmir.3104. (). Internet-based motivation program for women with eating disorders: eating disorder pathology and depressive mood predict dropout. Journal of medical Internet research, 16(3), e92. doi:
- 10.1002/j.1532-2149.2014.497.x. (). Identifying subgroups of paediatric chronic pain patients: a cluster-analytic approach. European Journal of Pain, 18(9), 1352–1362. doi:
- 10.1093/jpepsy/jss115. (). Maintaining lasting improvements: one-year follow-up of children with severe chronic pain undergoing multimodal inpatient. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 38(2), 224–236. doi:
- 10.1089/jpm.2013.0014. (). Did increased availability of pediatric palliative care lead to improved palliative care outcomes in children with cancer? Journal of Palliative Medicine, 16(9), 1034–1039. doi:
- 10.1002/j.1532-2149.2013.00314.x. (). Classifying the severity of paediatric chronic pain - an application of the chronic pain grading. European Journal of Pain, 17(9), 1393–1402. doi:
- 10.1007/s00482-013-1320-3. (). Influence of parental occupation on access to specialised treatment for paediatric chronic pain: a retrospective study. Schmerz, 27(3), 305–311. doi:
- 10.1016/j.sleep.2012.12.008. (). Snake: the development and validation of a questionnaire on sleep disturbances in children with severe psychomotor impairment. Sleep Medicine, 14(4), 339–351. doi:
- 10.1055/s-0032-1307450. (). Development of somatosensory perception in children: a longitudinal QST-study. Neuropediatrics, 43(1), 10–16. doi:
- 10.1177/082585971202800406. (). Children Dying from Cancer: Parents’ Perspectives on Symptoms, Quality of Life, Characteristics of Death, and End-of-Life Decisions. Journal of Palliative Care, 28(4), 274–281. doi:
- 10.1016/j.smrv.2011.03.006. (). Sleep disturbances in children with multiple disabilities. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 16(2), 117–127. doi:
- 10.1055/s-0032-1323113. (). Forschungswerkstatt Palliativversorgung – ein neues Weiterbildungsangebot. Zeitschrift für Palliativmedizin, 13(05). doi:
- 10.1186/1471-2431-12-54. (). Characteristics of highly impaired children with severe chronic pain: a 5-year retrospective study on 2249 pediatric pain patients. BMC Pediatrics, 12, 54. doi:
- 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2012.03685.x. (). Childhood diabetic neuropathy: functional impairment and non-invasive screening assessment. Diabetic Medicine, 29(11), 1425–1432. doi:
- 10.1055/s-0032-1321882. (). Entwicklung und Validierung einer deutschsprachigen Skala zur Erfassung der Veränderungsmotivation bei Essstörungen - The Stages of Change Questionnaire for Eating Disorders (SOCQ-ED). Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik, Medizinische Psychologie, 62(12), 450–455. doi:
- 10.1016/j.ejpain.2010.09.015. (). Parental catastrophizing about their child's chronic pain: are mothers and fathers different? European Journal of Pain, 15(5), 515.e1-9–9. doi:
- 10.1007/s00482-011-1081-9. (). Pädiatrische Schmerztherapie: Wie ist der Wissensstand von Pflegenden? Schmerz, 25(4), 423–433. doi:
- 10.1016/j.pain.2011.08.007. (). Developmental and sex differences in somatosensory perception--a systematic comparison of 7- versus 14-year-olds using quantitative sensory testing. Pain, 152(11), 2625–2631. doi:
- 10.1007/s00482-011-1051-2. (). Schmerztherapie bei Chronisch Schmerzkranken, Schwer Beeinträchtigten Kindern und Jugendlichen: Langzeiterfolge einer 3-Wöchigen Stationären Schmerztherapie. Schmerz, 25(4), 411–422. doi:
- 10.1016/j.ejpain.2011.03.001. (). Specialized multimodal outpatient treatment for children with chronic pain: treatment pathways and long-term outcome. European Journal of Pain, 15(9), 976–984. doi:
- (). Changes in Pain-Related Coping Strategies and Their Importance for Treatment Outcome Following Multimodal Inpatient Treatment: Does Sex Matter? The Journal of Pain, 11(5), 472–483.
- 10.1055/s-0030-1265609. (). Quantitative Sensory Testing in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. Neuropediatrics, 41(02). doi:
- 10.1055/s-0030-1265618. (). Developmental and sex differences of somatosensory perception. Neuropediatrics, 41(02). doi:
- 10.1007/s00482-009-0864-8. (). Deutscher Schmerzfragebogen für Kinder, Jugendliche und deren Eltern (DSF-KJ). Entwicklung und Anwendung eines multimodalen Fragebogens zur Diagnostik und Therapie chronischer Schmerzen im Kindes- und Jugendalter. Schmerz, 24(1), 23–37. doi:
- 10.1055/s-0030-1265387. (). Rücklaufquote bei der Validierung eines Schlaffragebogens für Kinder mit schweren chronischen Erkrankungen und ihren Eltern. Zeitschrift für Palliativmedizin, 11(05). doi:
- 10.1007/s00482-010-0920-4. (). Schmerzempfindung bei Jugendlichen mit chronischen funktionellen Schmerzen : Adaptation und psychometrische Uberprüfung der Schmerzempfindungsskala (SES) nach Geissner. Schmerz, 24(3), 236–250. doi:
- 10.1007/s00482-009-0862-x. (). Neues Design des Deutschen Schmerzfragebogens für Kinder und Jugendliche (DSF-KJ). Schmerz, 24(1), 9–11. doi:
- 10.1007/s00482-010-0943-x. (). Quantitative Sensorische Testung bei Kindern und Jugendlichen nach dem Protokoll des Deutschen Forschungsverbundes Neuropathischer Schmerz (DFNS) : Alters- und Geschlechtsunterschiede der Referenzwerte. Schmerz, 24(4), 380–382. doi:
- 10.1016/j.pain.2010.01.011. (). Reference values for quantitative sensory testing in children and adolescents: developmental and gender differences of somatosensory perception. Pain, 149(1), 76–88. doi:
- 10.1016/j.ejpain.2009.03.002. (). Effectiveness of a multimodal inpatient treatment for pediatric chronic pain: a comparison between children and adolescents. European Journal of Pain, 14(1), 97.e1-9–9. doi:
- 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2010.00839.x. (). The pain provocation technique for adolescents with chronic pain: preliminary evidence for its effectiveness. Pain Medicine, 11(6), 897–910. doi:
- 10.1093/jpepsy/jsp066. (). Commentary: A worldwide call for multimodal inpatient treatment for children and adolescents suffering from chronic pain and pain-related disability. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 35(2), 138–140. doi:
- 10.1007/s00482-008-0730-0. (). Schmerzbezogene Beeinträchtigung bei Jugendlichen mit chronischen Schmerzen. Erste Uberprüfung des Pediatric Pain Disability Index (P-PDI). Schmerz, 23(1), 20–32. doi:
- 10.1080/08870440801998988. (). Effects of a physical exercise session on state body image: The influence of pre-experimental body dissatisfaction and concerns about weight and shape. Psychology and Health, 24(6), 713–728. doi:
- 10.3238/arztebl.2009.0056. (). Pain Therapy in Children and Adolescents: In reply. Deutsches Ärzteblatt international, 106(4). doi:
- 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2008.01813.x. (). Paroxysmal hemicrania in children--symptoms, diagnostic criteria, therapy and outcome. Cephalalgia, 29(8), 873–882. doi:
- 10.1080/19361520903317287. (). The pain provocation technique as an adjunctive treatment module for children and adolescents with chronic disabling pain: a case report. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma, 2(4), 297–307. doi:
- 10.1016/j.jpain.2008.11.011. (). Sex differences in pain intensity in adolescents suffering from cancer: differences in pain memories? The Journal of Pain, 10(6), 586–593. doi:
- 10.1097/AJP.0b013e318185c1c9. (). Effectiveness of a 3-week multimodal inpatient pain treatment for adolescents suffering from chronic pain: statistical and clinical significance. Clinical Journal of Pain, 25(2), 156–166. doi:
- 10.1123/apaq.25.2.159. (). Physical activity and body composition in outpatients recovering from anorexia nervosa and healthy controls. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 25(2), 159–173. doi:
- 10.1016/j.ejpain.2007.12.002. (). Stop the pain! A nation-wide quality improvement programme in paediatric oncology pain control. European Journal of Pain, 12(7), 819–833. doi:
- 10.3238/arztebl.2008.0511. (). Pain therapy in children and adolescents. Deutsches Ärzteblatt international, 105(28-29), 511–521. doi:
- 10.1055/s-0029-1215755. (). Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) in children and adolescents. Neuropediatrics, 39(05), V42. doi:
- 10.1055/s-2008-1065347. (). Parents' perspective on symptoms, quality of life, characteristics of death and end-of-life decisions for children dying from cancer. Klinische Pädiatrie, 220(3), 166–174. doi:
- 10.1007/s00482-008-0621-4. (). Schmerzbezogene Copingstrategien von Kindern und Jugendlichen mit chronischen Schmerzen. Uberprüfung einer deutschen Fassung der Paediatric Pain Coping Inventory (PPCI-revised). Schmerz, 22(4), 442–457. doi:
- 10.1002/erv.630. (). How do clinical specialists understand the role of physical activity in eating disorders? European Eating Disorders Review, 13(2), 125–132. doi:
- 10.1159/000087374. (). Die Bedeutung körperlicher Aktivität bei Anorexia nervosa: Dimensionen, Erfassung und Behandlungsstrategien aus Expertensicht. Verhaltenstherapie, 15(3), 140–147. doi:
- 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb06533.x. (). Perception of seasonal changes in physical activity among young Australian and German women. Medical Journal of Australia, 181(11-12), 710–711. doi:
Research Article (Book Contributions)
- 10.1007/978-3-662-58980-9_57. (). Schmerzstörungen. In (Eds.), Verhaltenstherapiemanual: Kinder und Jugendliche (pp. 289–294). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-662-57369-3_46. (). Chronischer Schmerz Psychologische Therapie bei Indikationen im Kindes- und Jugendalter. In (Eds.), Lehrbuch der Verhaltenstherapie, Band 3 (pp. 847–863). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-662-45995-9_36-1. (). Chronischer Schmerz bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. In (Eds.), Handbuch Klinische Psychologie (pp. 1–22). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- (). Schmerzen bei Frühgeborenen, Kindern und Jugendlichen. In (Eds.), Schmerzmanagement in der Pflege (pp. 201–215). Heidelberg: Springer.
- 10.1007/978-3-662-45057-4. (). Messen und Erfassen von Schmerz. In (Eds.), Schmerztherapie bei Kindern, Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen (pp. 75–102). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-662-45057-4_9. (). Psychologische Interventionen bei akuten Schmerzen. In (Eds.), Schmerztherapie bei Kindern, Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen (pp. 181–200). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-662-45057-4_24. (). Ambulante und stationäre multimodale Schmerztherapie. In (Eds.), Schmerztherapie bei Kindern, Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen (pp. 507–518). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-662-45057-4_10. (). Psychologische Interventionen bei chronischen Schmerzen. In (Eds.), Schmerztherapie bei Kindern, Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen (pp. 201–219). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-642-32671-4_2. (). Schmerzstörung – Eine biopsychosoziale Erkrankung. In (Eds.), Therapie von Schmerzstörungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter (pp. 5–31). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-642-37816-4_2. (). Pain Disorder: A Biopsychosocial Disease. In (Eds.), Practical Treatment Options for Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents (pp. 5–32). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-642-29610-9. (). Forschung in der pädiatrischen Palliativversorgung. In (Eds.), Palliativversorgung von Kindern, Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen (pp. 549–558). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-642-32671-4. (). Diagnostik. In (Eds.), Therapie von Schmerzstörungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter (pp. 33–48). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-642-37816-4_3. (). Diagnostics of Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents. In (Eds.), Practical Treatment Options for Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents (pp. 33–47). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-642-37816-4_6. (). Pain therapy in childhood and adolescent chronic pain. In (Eds.), Practical Treatment Options for Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents (pp. 75–184). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-642-37816-4_8. (). Is it all worthwhile? – Effectiveness of intensive‚ interdisciplinary pain treatment. In (Eds.), Practical Treatment Options for Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents (pp. 215–228). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- (). Schmerztherapie in der Pädiatrie. In (Eds.), Schmerztherapie (pp. 420–430). Stuttgart: Georg Thieme Verlag.
- 10.1007/978-3-540-74065-0_8. (). Psychologische Interventionen bei akuten Schmerzen. In (Eds.), Schmerztherapie bei Kindern, Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen (pp. 152–169). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-540-74065-0_21. (). Stationäre multimodale Schmerztherapie. In (Eds.), Schmerztherapie bei Kindern, Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen (pp. 388–395). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-540-74065-0_5. (). Messen und Erfassen von Schmerz. In (Eds.), Schmerztherapie bei Kindern, Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen (pp. 49–74). Heidelberg: Springer. doi:
- 10.1007/978-3-540-74065-0_9. (). Psychologische Interventionen bei chronischen Schmerzen. In (Eds.), Schmerztherapie bei Kindern, Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen (pp. 170–188). Heidelberg: Springer. doi: