About Kenschetser

Hi!

Welcome to the Kenschetser website, so glad you're here!

I'm Jente, clinical psychologist and the person behind Kenschetser. I'd love to tell you how all of this came about, because honestly? I never saw it coming.

How it started
During my training as a clinical psychologist, I kept noticing the same thing: the models we use are incredibly valuable, but they're also very language-heavy and sometimes abstract. And when you're sitting across from someone who already has enough on their mind, you don't want half the session to disappear explaining what an "internalized dysfunctional parent mode" or a "case conceptualization" actually means.

I wanted both of us to spend less time stuck in our heads. So that we could both show up as our authentic selves in the room, and the conversation could actually be about what's happening on the inside, in the emotional world. Especially since those turn out to be two of the key active ingredients (common factors) in psychotherapy.

I went looking for materials that could help with that. Illustrations, diagrams, something to place alongside the words. I couldn't find them. So I started drawing them myself. First a poster with the modes and schemas from schema therapy, just for my own use. Then cards to go with it. Colleagues saw it and asked if they could buy it. And that's how Kenschetser started, accidentally, as a hobby that got a little out of hand.

What I never expected was that my biggest insecurity might also turn out to be my greatest strength. I'm severely dyslexic. So severely that things already went wrong at the very basics in third grade. For years I felt stupid because reading took more effort, and new, complex words have always needed extra time to land. Without really realising it, I had trained myself (or maybe it just came naturally) to think in a different way: in diagrams, in images, in overviews rather than long blocks of text.

What I always experienced as a weakness turns out to be exactly my strength within Kenschetser. Translating complex language into accessible, understandable visuals, but staying as faithful as possible to the intended meaning and to the science. Because that last part matters just as much to me.

I now dare to call myself a true scientist-practitioner, or "psychology nerd" in plain language. I love diving deep, I actually enjoy reading these days, and I genuinely find psychology a kind of hobby alongside my work as a therapist. I'm happiest at the intersection of science and practical application. Knowledge from academic journals is often beautiful, but it doesn't help the people in the consulting room if it stays there.

That's why I also share accessible background knowledge on the knowledge hub, covering the themes my materials are based on. So you don't just have the materials, but can also read a bit more about the background, in a hopefully approachable way.

Making mental healthcare a little more colourful
I love mental healthcare. And I also find it a difficult place to be. So much of what truly needs attention also takes a lot of time. And that time is often under pressure from waiting lists and budgets. I can't fix that. But I can try to bring a little more colour and care into the consulting room through Kenschetser. That, quietly, alongside creating beautiful materials that translate knowledge into practice, is also a bit of my goal.

I've now completed my clinical psychology training. That means a very full head, lots of new insights, and finally a little more time to create new things. Because when Kenschetser started gaining recognition, I was in the thick of studying, conducting scientific research, writing assignments, undergoing personal therapy, and receiving supervision. I'm glad to feel a bit more breathing room now.

I've now completed my clinical psychology training. That means a very full head, lots of new insights, and finally a little more time to create new things.

Kenschetser started out entirely in Dutch, and at its heart, it still is. But over time, Dutch psychologists working with expats or international students started asking whether the schema therapy materials were available in English too. That's how the first translations came about. And now, I'm carefully taking the next step: translating the website itself, so that people from other countries can discover the materials too.

So if you're finding your way around and notice that some things are still in Dutch, that's not a mistake. It just means you've wandered into a part of the website that hasn't made the journey yet. Bear with me.

Kenschetser?
The name comes from the Dutch verb kenschetsen. According to the Van Dale dictionary, it means: to give a description of someone or something, to characterise, to distinguish. But also: to illustrate and to draw. Which is exactly what I try to do.

Curious about the materials? Feel free to look around. And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me at info@kenschetser.nl.

Kind regards,

Jente