Frank van der Horst appointed Professor by Special Appointment in Pedagogical Sciences
Frank van der Horst has been appointed Professor by Special Appointment in Pedagogical Sciences at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences of Leiden University as of 1 February 2026. The chair, titled Problematic Attachment and Disrupted Family Relationships in the Forensic Context, was established by De Waag, an institution for highly specialised outpatient forensic mental healthcare.
About the chair
This chair examines how attachment and family relationships play a role in complex and challenging situations. Its aim is to improve support for children, adolescents and adults who are vulnerable due to mental health problems or traumatic life events.
For a safe society and the well-being of young people with (severe) mental health problems, it is essential that universities and healthcare institutions invest together in more effective care. The close collaboration between the university and clinical practice ensures that questions arising in practice are directly translated into scientific research, and that research findings are fed back into education and treatment without delay.
Van der Horst: "This chair offers a unique opportunity to build bridges between science and forensic practice. We know that attachment plays an important role in transgressive behaviour, but how we translate that knowledge into effective therapeutic interventions remains underexplored."
Research themes of the chair
The chair focuses on three key themes:
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how (forensic) support for families can help address long-standing relationship problems;
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how misconceptions about the diagnosis and treatment of attachment can be identified and prevented;
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how attachment and the relationship between therapist and client can help restore contact and trust between people.
The chair centres on human development, attachment, and problems within family systems. This aligns closely with the expertise of the Institute of Education and Child Studies at Leiden University.
Van der Horst: "When we pay attention to what has gone wrong in relationships, repair and healing become possible. In doing so, we improve care for young people and adults and invest in a better future for the next generations."
About Frank van der Horst
Frank van der Horst is an associate professor at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) and specialises in topics such as attachment, trauma, and emotion regulation.
He has published extensively on (the history of) attachment theory, including John Bowlby – From Psychoanalysis to Ethology (2011) and John Bowlby – A Contemporary Introduction (forthcoming in 2026).
He regularly speaks out on parenting and the importance of setting healthy boundaries. He has published several books and articles on this subject.
His work is also available in Dutch, including Opvoeden en opgroeien. Handboek Pedagogiek (2025), Hechten. Menselijke emoties, relaties en ontwikkeling (2024), and Opgroeien in het hedendaagse gezin (2016/2020).
In addition, since 2009 Van der Horst has worked as a BIG-registered psychotherapist, healthcare psychologist, and educational psychologist-generalist at De Waag, where he treats adolescents and adults who struggle in relationships as a result of adverse experiences. In his therapeutic work, he emphasises clients’ emotional experiences and how they relate to others, with the therapeutic relationship taking a central role.