In life course psychology several types of forces are distinguished that influence our development throughout life. People all have the need to grow, to reach their potential. Based on the desire to grow, we can make choices at any point in our lives: the best is yet to come.
Nele Jacobs is professor of Lifespan Psychology at the Open Universiteit. In the master's variant Lifespan Psychology for which she is responsible, the emphasis is on understanding and studying human development patterns over the life course. In both teaching and research, she focuses on positive mental health. Nele examines well-being over the life course and which factors contribute to happiness and growth. Her mission is to promote positive mental health; from a positive view of human beings, she wants to encourage happiness and growth. She values translating science into practice. As a professor, she is also affiliated with Maastricht University. She has successfully supervised several (PhD) research projects and published more than 200 peer reviewed articles in international journals. Furthermore she has contributed to several books in the field of (positive) psychology and psychiatry, as well as to professional literature in these fields. And she is regularly invited to speak at national and international (professional) conferences.