Participatory Research
Theme leaders: Stéfanie Fréel, Coralie Creupelandt and Emmanuelle Verkest
Core team members (alphabetical):
Coralie Creupelandt, Centre national de ressources et de résilience (Cn2r), France; Deniz Ceylan, Koc University, Turkey; Emmanuelle Verkest, Centre national de ressources et de résilience (Cn2r), France; Max Loomes, Australasian Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, Australia; Miranda Olff, AmsterdamUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Stefanie Fréel, AmsterdamUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Ulrich Schnyder, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
Overview
Background
This thematic group is working to develop and strengthen participatory research approaches in psychotrauma.
The project is grounded in the recognition that rigorous trauma research requires not only methodological expertise, but also a deeper understanding of experiential knowledge: how people make sense of trauma, how experiences are narrated and interpreted, and how forms of knowledge emerge from lived, embodied, and situated experience.
From a humanities-informed perspective, experiential knowledge is understood not simply as an additional source of information, but as a form of knowledge with its own history, language, meaning, and epistemic value. Personal narratives, interpretations, and ways of making meaning out of suffering can offer important perspectives on phenomena that cannot always be fully captured through clinical or quantitative approaches alone.
This also invites reflection on the relationships through which knowledge is produced: whose voice is heard, whose interpretation is considered authoritative, how categories are constructed, and how power shapes encounters between researchers, clinicians, and people with lived experience.
The group therefore seeks to create spaces in which different forms of knowledge can meet, while remaining attentive to their respective strengths, limitations, and histories.
Objective
Our aim is to support the development of high-quality and internationally relevant participatory research in psychotrauma by:
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Clarifying the role and nature of experiential knowledge
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Identifying good practices in participatory research
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Fostering equitable partnerships between researchers, clinicians, and experts by lived experience
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Reflecting critically on power, representation, language and the production of knowledge in trauma research
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Contributing to epistemic justice in trauma research
Methods
This work is currently structured around two complementary activities:
1. International Online Workshops
2. Lived Experience Expert Council (LEEC)
1. International Online Workshops
A series of interactive workshops designed to build capacity in participatory research for psychotrauma.
Key features:
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Synchronous, multi-module structure delivered online
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Small-group format (max. 20 participants per module)
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International and interdisciplinary audience
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Co-facilitated sessions involving researchers, clinicians, and lived-experience partners
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A progressive curriculum covering topics such as experiential knowledge, power dynamics, ethics of participation, and roles of stakeholders in research
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Participatory pedagogical tools (case studies, role-play, narrative exercises, collective reflection)
The workshop series will build towards a final synthesis module aimed at consolidating shared learning and co-developing guiding principles for participatory research.
Interested in participating? Complete this short expression of interest survey to receive updates and be notified when the workshop series starts.
Status: Collaborators are Welcome (CAW). Expressions of interest open and workshop planning in progress
2. Lived Experience Expert Council (LEEC)
The LEEC is an international council bringing together people with lived experience of trauma.
Its purpose is to:
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Meaningfully integrate lived experience and experiential knowledge into research activities undertaken by the Global Collaboration on Traumatic Stress (GCTS) and its partners, including research design, data interpretation, and dissemination,
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Support participatory governance in research projects
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Develop shared practices for equitable and ethical collaboration and co-creation in research
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Foster research and practice-driven activities initiated by the LEEC
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Create spaces in which lived experience can shape not only research questions and outcomes but also how trauma and recovery are understood and represented
The council is grounded in the principles of mutual respect, reflexivity, transparency, shared responsibility, and attention to power dynamics. It also recognizes that experiences of trauma cannot be reduced to clinical categories alone: they are lived through bodies, relationships, memories, language, social contexts, and personal histories.
Members contribute according to their interests and capacities, and all participation levels are self-defined and flexible.
People interested in joining the council are invited to take part in an initial discussion/interview process. This moment is intended both to present the project and its philosophy in greater depth, and to collectively reflect on reciprocal expectations, preferred ways of involvement, boundaries, and whether participation feels appropriate and safe for everyone involved.
Interested in joining the Lived Experience Council?
You can contact Emmanuelle Verkest or Stéfanie Fréel for more information.
Status: Recruitment is ongoing. Collaborators are Welcome (CAW)