She is a professor of clinical psychology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, a role in which her priority is the translation of research into clinical practice, and the conduct of research that addresses the problems and concerns raised by clinical practice.  Her research focusses on the assessment and treatment of personality disorders and complex syndrome disorders, specializing in Schema Therapy. In line with the principles of the Dutch-Flemish Post-Graduate Research School ‘Experimental Psychopathology’, of which she is a board member, her research concerns the testing of cognitive models, in particular schema models, for various chronic disorders, and applied research into the effectiveness of its treatment, as well as the working mechanisms of components of the treatment.

Marleen has actively advanced the quality and implementation of schema therapy for organizations in the Netherlands and internationally. For 12 years, she has been a member of the board of the Dutch Association of Schema Therapy,serving for the past five years as President, and was recently awarded Honorary Membership. For the ISST, Marleen was a member of the first ISST Executive Board in the position of Science and Research Coordinator and served for two terms from 2008 to 2012. During that time, she chaired the organization of ISST's international conferences in Berlin (2010) and New York (2012). Since that time, Marleen has continued to participate in scientific committees for several ISST conferences. She is regularly invited as a keynote speaker for international conferences, including those of the ISST, addressing schema therapy-related topics, and is involved in an international network of researchers focusing on schema therapy.

Marleen’s research highlights the following areas:

•   The development and testing of measurement instruments relevant for Schema Therapy that assess early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and coping styles in people suffering from personality disorders and complex syndrome disorders (e.g., eating disorders), for adults, as well as adolescents, and children;

•   Testing the basic assumptions of schema theory, relating schemas, coping styles, and schema modes. Its results forms one of the fundaments of a present large scale international, cross-cultural study into a reformulated theory underlying schema therapy;

•   Testing the effectiveness of applications of schema therapy to other chronic and trauma-related disorders, e.g., Dissociative Identity Disorder.

•  Examining the processes through which imagery-related interventions, including imagery rescripting and EMDR, bring about change.

These research areas, and the select list of publications below, attest to Marleen’s leading role in research that continues to have an impact on raising the profile of schema therapy within the scientific community and extending our practical knowledge. Her integration of clinical and research expertise has made and continues to make an invaluable contribution to the ongoing development of the scientific basis for schema therapy and for the ongoing dissemination of the practice of schema therapy into widening clinical areas.  As outlined above she has also made significant contributions both to the ISST and the Dutch Association of Schema Therapy, and contributed to the further education and training  of schema therapists and those interested in training in or learning about schema therapy.

It is a pleasure to recommend her for Honorary Life Membership of the ISST.

Publications (Select list)

Arntz, A*., Rijkeboer, M.M.*, Chan, E., Fassbinder, E., Karaosmanoglu, A., Lee, C., & Panzeri, M. (under review). Towards a reformulated theory underlying schema therapy: Position paper of an international workgroup.  *shared first authorship

Boterhoven de Haan, K.L., Lee, C.W., Fassbinder, E., van Es, S.M., Meewisse, M.L., Menninga, S., Rijkeboer, M.M., Arntz, A. (2020). Imagery rescripting and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing as treatment for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder from childhood trauma: A randomised clinical trial. British Journal of Psychiatry, 1-7.

Huntjens, R.J.C., Rijkeboer, M.M., & Arntz, A. (2020). Schema therapy in DID: Treatment length and related studies on dissociative amnesia. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. 11, 1711638, DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2020.1711638

Huntjens, R.J.C.*, Rijkeboer, M.M.*, & Arntz, A. (2019). Schema therapy for dissociative identity disorder; Study rationale and protocol. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10, 1571377.       * shared first authorship

Huntjens, R.J.C., Rijkeboer, M.M., & Arntz, A. (2019). Schema therapy for Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): further explanation about the rationale and study protocol. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10, 1684629, DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2019.1684629

Rijkeboer, M.M. (2014). Unravelling the connection between schemas, coping styles, and modes: empirical findings. Invited keynote, 6th World Conference of Schema Therapy, 12th-14th June, Istanbul, Turkey.

Rijkeboer, M.M. (2012). Validation of the Young Schema Questionnaire. In M. van Vreeswijk, J. Broersen, & M. Nadort (Eds.), Handbook schema therapy. Theory, research, and practice (pp. 531-539). Wiley-Blackwell.

Rijkeboer, M.M. (2005). Assessment of early maladaptive schemas. On the validity of the Dutch Young Schema-Questionnaire. Dissertation, Universiteit Utrecht.

Rijkeboer, M.M. & Bergh, H. van den (2006). Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis of the Young Schema-Questionnaire in a Dutch clinical versus non-clinical population. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 30, 263-278.

Rijkeboer, M.M., Bergh, H. van den, & Bout, J. van den (2011). Item bias analysis of the Young Schema-Questionnaire for psychopathology, gender, and educational level. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 27, 65-70.

Rijkeboer, M.M., Bergh, H. van den, & Bout, J. van den (2005). Stability and discriminative power of the Young Schema-Questionnaire in a Dutch clinical versus non-clinical population. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 36, 129-144.

Rijkeboer, M.M., & Boo, G.M. de (2010). Early maladaptive schemas in children: Development and validation of the Schema Inventory for Children. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry,41, 102-109.

Rijkeboer, M.M., Daemen, J.J., Flipse, A., Bouwman, V., & Hagenaars, M. (2020). Rescripting experimental trauma: Effects of imagery and writing as a way to reduce the development of intrusive memories. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 67, 101478, DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.04.004

Rijkeboer, M.M., Lobbestael, J., Arntz, A., & Genderen, H. van (2010). Schema Coping Inventory. Utrecht: Universiteit Utrecht .

Rijkeboer M., van Genderen H., Arntz A. (2017) Schematherapie: theorie, praktijk en onderzoek. In: Eurelings-Bontekoe E., Verheul R., Snellen W. (eds) Handboek persoonlijkheidspathologie. Bohn Stafleu van Loghum, Houten. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-368-0931-3_18

Van Genderen, H.,  Rijkeboer, M.M., & Arntz, A. (2012). Theoretical model: Schemas, coping styles, and modes. In M. van Vreeswijk, J. Broersen, & M. Nadort (Eds.), Handbook schema therapy. Theory, research, and practice (pp. 27-40). Wiley-Blackwell.

Van Wijk-Herbrink, M.F., Bernstein, D.P., Broers, N.J., Roelofs, J., Rijkeboer, M.M., & Arntz, A. (2018). Internalizing and externalizing behaviors share a common predictor: The effects of early maladaptive schemas are mediated by coping responses and schema modes. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 46, 907-920.

Van Wijk-Herbrink, M.F., Roelofs, J., Broers, N.J., Rijkeboer, M.M., Arntz, A., & Bernstein, D.P. (2018). Validation of Schema Coping Inventory and Schema Mode Inventory in adolescents. Journal of Personality Disorders, 32, 220–241.

Vlierberghe, L. van, Rijkeboer, M.M., Hamers, P., & Braet, C. (2004). Schemavragenlijst voor jongeren [Schema Questionnaire for Adolescents]. Gent: Universiteit van Ghent; Departement Psychologie.