• From March 2026: Project manager in the DGF project (570886227) Significance of collective knowledge bases of general practitioners in East and West Germany during the transformation of the outpatient healthcare system (Acronym KoWiss)
• Since May 2023: Research assistant at the Institute of General Medicine at Jena University Hospital; topics: experiences of transformation among general practitioners in the GDR, qualitative research methods, telemedicine applications in general practice (DISTANCE project; REMIT)
• 2014-2023 Research assistant at the Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy, and Psycho-Oncology at Jena University Hospital; topics: participation and inclusion in old age, life review interviews, psychotherapists in the GDR, qualitative research methods
• 2011 – 2012/2013 Parental leave
• 2008 - 2013 Research assistant at the Institute for Sociology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena - Microsociology and socialization theory: Topics: Sociology of professions, sociology of knowledge, sociology of the family, foster parenting, crisis, qualitative research methods

2001 - 2007 Study of Sociology, Psychology and Sports Science (M.A.) at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena

2023 – Completion of the doctorate in the field of Sociology under Prof. Dr. Bernhard Strauss, Friedrich Schiller University Jena; dissertation title: "The Construction of Life History Narratives in the Life Review Interview and the Narrative-Biographical Interview. A Comparison of the Methods in Application, Structure and Benefit."

2009-2011 Advanced training at the Berlin Society for Systemic Therapy and Counseling (GST) Systemic Individual, Couple and Family Therapy; degree/qualification: Systemic Counseling

2025

Kirschner H, Henkel R, Bleidorn J. Shaking off the "braid of socialist medical administration" – impacts of the system upheaval from 1989/90 on Thuringian general practitioners. Ärzteblatt Thüringen, 4, 44-46 (2025).

2024

Kirschner H, Henkel R, Knoepffler N, Bleidorn J. The years 1989/90 as a venture for East German general practitioners. Z Allg Med (2024).

2023

Kirschner H, Storch M, Arp A, Kaufmann MT, Paripovic G, Strauss B. The significance of the educational biography for the professional self-image of GDR psychotherapists. 2023. Psychother Psych Med.

2022

Gallistl A, Kirschner H, Paripovic G, Rauschenbach M, Storch M, Strauss B. Reviewing GDR psychotherapy as a transdisciplinary research field. Part II: professional politics - coming to terms with the past - social science. Die Psychotherapie. 2022; 67(5), 430–438.

Kirschner H, Arp A, Schneider N, Storch M, Rauschenbach M, Strauss B. Life history interviews with GDR psychotherapists: initial hypotheses on social positioning and professional action. Psychotherapie Psychosomatik Medizinische Psychologie. 2022; 72(12), 564-571.

Kirschner H, Forstmeier S, Strauss B. The life review interview. Background, mechanism of action and practical guidance. Psychosozial Verlag, Giessen. 2022.

Storch M, Schneider N, Kirschner H, Arp A, Rauschenbach M, Gallistl A, Strauss B. Psychotherapeutic specialist literature of the GDR and FRG. A comparative citation analysis. Psychotherapie Psychosomatik Medizinische Psychologie. 2022; 72(07), 316-324.

Strauss B, Kirschner H, Paripovic G, Storch M, Gallistl A. Reviewing GDR psychotherapy as a transdisciplinary research field. Part I: chronological/historical perspectives. Die Psychotherapie. 2022; 10.

2020

Berger U, Kirschner H, Muehleck J, Glaeser A, Werner B, Kurz M, Schwager S, Wick K, Strauss B. Short scale for assessing perceived social participation (KsT-5): internal consistency, content and convergent validity as well as reference values in a representative sample. Psychother Psych Med. 2020, e-first

Storch M, Schneider N, Kirschner H, Arp A, Gallistl A, Rauschenbach M, Strauss B. Psychotherapy networks in the GDR – a citation analysis of psychotherapeutic GDR specialist literature using the example of the journal volume "Psychotherapie und Grenzgebiete". Psychotherapeut. 2020;65, 495-504.

2019

Kirschner H, Zimmermann A, Singh S. et al. "Remembering, telling, being there" – participation of older people through life review interviews. Praevention und Gesundheitsfoerderung. 2019.

Berger U, Krausslach H, Kirschner H, Muehleck J, Werner B, Strauss B. Prevention through participation in the collaborative project VorteilJena. Psychotherapeut. 2019; 64, 38-45.

Zimmermann A, Kirschner H, Singh S, Altmann U, Mill W, Forstmeier S, Strauss B. Practical materials for conducting life reviews. Psychotherapeut. 2019.

2018

Kirschner H, Berger U. What is inclusion. Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik, Medizinische Psychologie. 2018; 65, 445-446.

Wick K, Schwarz M, Schwager S, Glaeser A, Kirschner H, Muehleck J, Werner B, Strauss B, Berger U. Relationship between social participation, global self-esteem, and physical and mental health in a representative German sample. Psychotherapie Psychosomatik Medizinische Psychologie. 2022.

• Kirschner H. Approaching a female psychotherapist of the GDR. In: Arp, A., Kuller, C., Strauss, B. How do we remember and forget? Psychological, neurophilosophical, and historical science approaches. Giessen: Psychosozial-Verlag (2024).
• Kirschner H, Forstmeier S, Strauss B. The life review interview. Background, mechanism of action and practical guidance. Psychosozial Verlag. Giessen. 2022.
• Arp A, Gallistl A, Kirschner H, Rauschenbach M, Storch M, Strauss B. Discussion of the presentations on the topic of psychotherapy in the GDR at the symposium "Soul Work in Socialism". In: B. Strauss, R. Erices, S. Guski-Leinwand, & E. Kumbier (eds.). Soul Work in Socialism - Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy in the GDR. Psychosozial Verlag. Giessen. 2022;pp. 241-250

Henkel R, Bleidorn J, Kirschner H, Knoepffler N. The impact of German reunification on Thuringian general practitioners. (Poster) 57th Congress for General Medicine and Family Medicine; 28.09.-30.09.2023; Berlin.