Guest researcher: Amarens Matthiesen

Guest researcher Amarens Matthiesen recently completed her PhD in Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria, British Columbia in Canada. Amarens’ research has focused on a range of (psycho)social factors influencing the wellbeing of children, youth, and families. Her doctoral research explored children’s rights to participation in health care decision-making in the context of children’s hospitals in the Netherlands. Other research project involvements have focused on the provision of health- and community-based services for children with autism, as well as children with disabilities and/or medical complexities in Canada. As a certified Child Life Specialist (pediatric psychosocial health care provider), Amarens has experience working with children, youth and families in various health- and community-based contexts. Through a practice-based approach to research, she is interested in critical sociological and nursing-based scholarship to contextualize pediatric health care practices and discourses on childhood, including children’s rights.