An Michels is a clinical psychologist with an additional degree in family- and systemic psychotherapy. As the Psychologist/Trauma Expert of the Victims and Witnesses Section of the International Criminal Court and head of the Section’s Psychosocial Support Team, An Michels is responsible for guidance in relation to the protection of psychosocial well-being of witnesses and victims interacting with the Court. She also advises the Court on the development of survivor-centred approaches; on issues related to mental health, trauma and sexual and gender-based violence. The mandate of the team of psychologists based in The Hague and in the field is to focus on preventing psychological harm as a result of witnesses’ and victims’ involvement with the ICC, providing psychological and other assistance as well as to facilitate testimony of vulnerable witnesses. Under Ms Michels’ guidance various tools, protocols and policies were developed shaping the ICC’s protection and support of vulnerable witnesses and victims.
Prior to joining the ICC in 2009, An Michels was responsible for the psychosocial team at the Witnesses and Victims Support Section of the Special Court for Sierra Leone in Freetown. She further served as a Clinical Psychologist and Project Coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in Rwanda, Burundi and Indonesia where her work focused on the development of psychosocial support methodologies for victims of war, in particular victims of sexual and gender-based violence and former child soldiers. She also worked as a consultant and researcher for UNICEF, WFP, OHCHR, UNODC and various INGO’s on topics related to war-related trauma, CRSV, prevention of SEA and the role of vulnerable witnesses in transitional justice mechanisms. She wrote several articles and book-contributions on the topic and is currently a visiting researcher at the Amsterdam Laboratory for Legal Psychology at the VU University Amsterdam.
An Michels received an Knowledge Management Fund innovation grant from KPSRL in 2023. She was also awarded with a Rockefeller Bellagio Residency in 2024.
