School of Psychology and Psychotherapy
Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV
Profile
The Chair and Research Lab of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV is an academic research group at Witten/Herdecke University led by Principal Investigator (PI) Professor Dr Stefan Westermann. The lab investigates the causes and treatment of mental disorders from behavioural, psychodynamic, and (neo-)humanistic perspectives, integrating formal modelling and empirically informed simulation approaches.
Chair holder / PI (Principal Investigator)
Univ.-Prof. Dr.
Stefan Westermann
Chair Holder
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV
Head of Institute
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Center for Interpersonal Dynamics
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 44
58455 Witten
Research
The Chair’s research specialisation focuses on the interpersonal and intersubjective mechanisms that underlie the development, maintenance and psychotherapeutic change of mental disorders, and which operate dyadically across two individuals (e.g. the therapist–patient dyad).
Methods of formal modelling and empirically informed simulation are also employed to map the complexity of these psychopathological and psychotherapeutic processes and to explain them generatively (e.g. agent-based modelling). Empirical approaches include methods such as experience sampling in everyday life, video analyses of interpersonal interactions (e.g. therapy sessions) and participatory simulation paradigms in the laboratory.
Perspective
The following is a brief outline of the basic scientific perspective that shapes the research projects at the Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV.
Motives
Research at the Chair is characterised by an instrumental perspective. Accordingly, processes of experience and behaviour that enable people to actively shape their environment play an important role. These motivational processes are aimed at the long-term fulfilment of psychological needs such as autonomy, attachment and self-esteem, as well as at protecting these needs from being violated. We refer to such processes, which organise experience and behaviour, as motives.
Relationships as environments
Relationships are the aspect of the environment that is central to many psychological needs, such as attachment and autonomy, and are therefore also a key focus of the Chair’s research. On the one hand, these are interpersonal relationships that a person forms through motivated experiences and behaviour towards others, such as friendships, hierarchical relationships in the workplace, and also therapist–patient relationships. On the other hand, they involve intrapsychic relationships that a person maintains with themselves, such as self-love, self-criticism or self-exploration. At the Chair, we adopt an ecological perspective in which relationships are understood as environmental niches in which psychological needs are both met and violated. From this perspective, a friendship is a mutualistic relationship in which both parties satisfy each other’s need for attachment. This motivational, ecological approach to the dynamics of intrapsychic and interpersonal relationships underpins a large proportion of our research projects.
Current research projects
Completed research projects
- Empirical motive networks using experience sampling
- Internet-based interventions
- Emotional dynamics and regulation in the context of psychotic disorders
- Emotion regulation and sleep
- Motivational-oriented internet-based self-help
- Therapeutic relationship-building in the context of psychotic disorders
Collaborations
- Dr Sven Banisch, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany
- Prof. Dr Thomas Berger, University of Bern
- Prof. Dr Carola Cropp, University of Greifswald / University of Kassel
- Prof. Chris Hopwood, University of Zurich
- Dr Tobias Kube, University of Göttingen
- Dr Thies Lüdtke, Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Publications
All publications by the Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV at UW/H are listed in the university bibliography. Please note that, due to a system change, some authors’ names currently appear twice in our publication lists. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Teaching
The Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV contributes to the following modules, amongst others, in the Bachelor’s degree programme in Psychology and the Master’s degree programme in Psychology with a specialisation in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy:
- Lecture: Introduction to Clinical Disorders and Therapies I (Bachelor’s)
- Causes and Treatments of Mental Disorders II (Bachelor’s)
- Lecture: Mental Disorders and their Treatment, or Specialised Theory of Disorders and Therapies I (Master’s)
- Lecture: Specialised Theory of Disorders and Therapies II (Master’s)
- Professional Qualification Course II – Revision Course (Master’s)
- Research Colloquium
The team at the Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV
Nele Mathei , M. Sc.
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 44
58455 WittenRoom number: 1.119A
Dr. rer. nat. Dipl.-Psych.
Marcel Riehle
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV
Alfred-Herrhausen-Str. 44
58455 WittenRoom number: FEZ, 1.119A
Titus Schauf , M. Sc.
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV
- +49 2302 926-7365
Orcid ID: 0000-0003-2571-968X
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50
58448 WittenRoom number: FEZ, 1.119A
Angela Hölscher
Secretariat
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy III
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 44
58455 WittenRoom number: 2.191 C
Pauline Knechten , B.Sc.
Student Assistant
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50
58448 WittenMaria Plappert
Student Assistant
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50
58448 Witten