Professor Dr
Ulrike Willutzki
Professor
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Senior Professorship for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
Senior Professorship in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
Prof. Dr Ulrike Willutzki holds the Senior Professorship in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.
Research
Within our department, we take a practical approach to exploring how we can help those seeking advice and patients to connect with and collaborate with their psychotherapists.
In terms of content, this is reflected, amongst other things, in our research specialisation on resources and resource activation in psychotherapy: how can we better recognise and utilise our patients’ strengths?
With regard to care provision, we also focus in this context on patient groups who face barriers to accessing psychotherapy. For example, as part of the ARAP (Assisting Refugees to Access Psychological Support) project, we are establishing a treatment network of psychotherapists for people with refugee backgrounds, who are supported and guided in addressing the specific issues and needs of this group. We are striving to improve care for people with mental health issues and intellectual disabilities by training practitioners and contributing specialist articles on the topics of diagnosis and psychotherapy.
We cannot do this without psychotherapists – which is why, through the international working group SPRISTAD, we have long been engaged in the professional development of psychotherapists and how this can be promoted, for example, through training and continuing professional development.
As well as direct, face-to-face contact, we are also exploring the possibilities offered by online services.
Our main areas of research and work:
- Psychotherapeutic care for people with refugee backgrounds (ARAP)
- Psychotherapy for people with intellectual disabilities
- Social anxiety disorders
- Resource assessment and resource mobilisation
- Psychotherapy process and outcome research
- Direct measurement of change
- Standardisation of psychotherapy and its relationship to the therapeutic process and outcomes
- Professional development of psychotherapists
- Supervision in psychotherapy
Recent publications:
Kleischmann, A. & Willutzki, U. (2026). Psychotherapy for people with intellectual disabilities. Kohlhammer.
Trimpop LF, Bielinski LL, Schürmann-Vengels J, Appelbaum S, Berger T, Willutzki U. Evaluation of Two Web-Based Interventions (REMOTION and Res-Up!) for Clients on Psychotherapy Waitlists in Routine Outpatient Psychotherapy (Therapy Online Plus—TOP): A Randomised Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 19 March 2026:83917 (forthcoming/in press). DOI: 10.2196/83917
Fletcher, R.F., Barnhill, J., Cooper, S. (2026) (Eds.) Diagnostic Manual – Intellectual Disability: DM-ID-2. A manual for the diagnosis of mental disorders in people with intellectual disability according to the DSM-5 (German translation edited by Michalak, J., Graser, J., Kleischmann, A., Troche, S. & Willutzki, U.). Tübingen: DGVT.
Hartmann A, Orlinsky DE, Rønnestad MH, Willutzki U, Schröder TA, Heinonen E. Measuring psychotherapist functioning with the Therapist Work Involvement Scales (TWIS): reliability, factor structure, and measurement invariance. Psychother Res. November 2025;35(8):1287–1299. doi: 10.1080/10503307.2024.2389857
Orlinsky, D. E., Rønnestad, M. H., Willutzki, U., Schröder, T. A., Heinonen, E., Löffler‐Stastka, H., Messina, I., Pirke, J., & Hartmann, A. (2024). Healing involvement and stressful involvement experienced by psychotherapy trainees: Patterns, correlates and perceived development. Counselling & Psychotherapy Research, 24(4), 1442–1453. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12788
Schürmann-Vengels, J., Pirke, J., Troche, S. J., Budge, S. L., Flückiger, C., & Willutzki, U. (2025). Dual-continual examination and differential prediction of well-being and distress in LGBTQIA+ populations. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 72(1), 92–102. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000769 (IF: 3.8)
Willutzki, U. & Geilenberg, P. (225). Deliberate Practice in Behavioural Therapy. In U. Kramer & M. Böckle (Eds.), Deliberate Practice (pp. 86–97). Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta.
Gumz, A., Kästner, D., Reuter, L., Moura, C.M., Ehlers, K., Daubmann, A., Eubanks, C.F., Muran, J.C., Anderson, T., Stöckl, R, Schwanitz, G., Stegemann, L, Rohr, L., Willutzki, U., Jacobi, F. & Zapf, A. (2025). Modified Alliance-Focused Training with Doubling as an integrative approach to improve therapists’ competencies in dealing with alliance ruptures and prevent negative outcomes in psychotherapy for depression. Study protocol of a randomised controlled multicentre trial. doi: doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.12.25320410
Velten J, Christiansen H, Hoyer J, In-Albon T, Lincoln T, Lutz W, Margraf J, Schöttke H, Stark R, Werheid K, Willutzki U, Alpers GW, Bartholdy S, Berger EM, Brakemeier EL, Bräscher AK, Brockmeyer T, Dziobek I, Fehm L, Forkmann T, Glombiewski J, Helbig-Lang S, Hermann A, Kirsch A, Klucken T, Odyniec P, Pedersen A, Renneberg B, Rudolph A, Schwartz B, Teismann T, Wilz G, Rubel JA. Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy for adult mental disorders: A large-scale naturalistic study across 29 university outpatient clinics. Behav Res Ther. 23 January 2025;186:104691. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2025.104691. Published online ahead of print. PMID: 39919361. (IF: 4.3)
Wrede N, Hillebrand MC, Risch AK, Alpers GW, Bartholdy S, Brakemeier EL, Bräscher AK, Brockmeyer T, Christiansen H, Equit M, Fehm L, Forkmann T, Glombiewski J, Heider J, Helbig-Lang S, Hermann A, Hermann C, Hoyer J, In-Albon T, Klucken T, Lincoln TM, Ludwig L, Lueken U, Lutz W, Margraf J, Michael T, Odyniec P, Pedersen A, Renneberg B, Rubel J, Rudolph A, Schöttke H, Schwartz B, Stark R, Teismann T, Velten J, Werheid K, Willutzki U, Witthöft M, Wilz G. How do young-old and old-old adults benefit from cognitive-behavioural therapy compared to working-age adults? A large multicentre naturalistic study. J Affect Disord. 2025, 456–464. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.01.145. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39889933. (IF: 4.9)
Schünemann, O., Jansen, A., Willutzki, U., & Heinrichs, N. (2025). Allegiance and Treatment Quality as Moderators of the Comparative Effectiveness of Psychotherapy? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Studies Comparing Humanistic Psychotherapy to Other Psychotherapy Approaches. Clinical Psychology in Europe, 7(1), 1–22.
Schürmann-Vengels, J., Teismann, T., Margraf, J. & Willutzki, U. (2022). Patients’ self-perceived strengths increase during treatment and predict outcome in outpatient cognitive behavioural therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 78(12), 2427–2445, doi: 10.1002/jclp.23352.
Schürmann-Vengels, J., Troche, S., Victor, P., Teismann, T. & Willutzki, U. (2023). Multidimensional assessment of strengths and their association with mental health in psychotherapy patients at the start of treatment, Clinical Psychology in Europe, 5 (2). doi: 10.32872/cpe.8041.
Victor, P., Schürmann-Vengels, J., Muermans, M., Teismann, T. & Willutzki, U. (2019). The Witten Resources Questionnaire (WIRF) – a multidimensional instrument for the subjective assessment of resources. Journal of Psychiatry, Psychology and Psychotherapy, 67 (3), 181–191. doi: 10.1024/1661-4747/a000388.
Willutzki, U. & Schürmann-Vengels, J. (2021). Resources and resilience factors. In W. Rief, E. Schramm, and B. Strauß (Eds.), Psychotherapy (pp. 65–74). Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/b978-3-437-22601-4.00004-8.
Schürmann-Vengels, J., Flückiger, C., Reyer, E., Odyniec, P. & Willutzki, U. (2024). The Impact of Mental Imagery Instructions on Patients’ and Therapists’ Positive Affect and Strength-Based Behaviours Within Psychotherapy Sessions: A Randomised Controlled Process Study. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 31. doi: 10.1002/cpp.3036.
Schürmann-Vengels, J., Pirke, J., Troche, S.J., Budge, S.L., Flückiger, C. & Willutzki, U. (2024). Dual-continual examination and differential prediction of well-being and distress in LGBTQIA+ populations. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 72 (1), 92–102. doi: 10.1037/cou0000769.
Employees
Michelle Raucamp, MSc
- Research Associate (Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist; Psychologist in Training)
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy)
Senior Professorship in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
Oliver Amrehn, MSc
- Research Assistant (Psychological Psychotherapist in training)
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy)
Senior Professorship in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
Paul Geilenberg, MSc
- Doctoral student
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy)
Senior Professorship in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy - Research Assistant
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy)
Basic Training in Psychotherapy - Psychological Psychotherapist
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy)
Centre for Mental Health and Psychotherapy
Jan Pirke, MSc
- Research Assistant & doctoral student
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy)
Senior Professorship in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
Leonie Trimpop, MSc
- Doctoral student
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy)
Senior Professorship in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy - Research Assistant
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy)
Basic Training in Psychotherapy - Psychological Psychotherapist
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy)
Centre for Mental Health and Psychotherapy
Resume
Since 2025
Senior Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at Witten/Herdecke University
Since 2023
Member of the Independent Commission for the Investigation of Sexual Violence in the Diocese of Essen (UAK Essen)
Since 2013
Member of the Steering Committee of SPRISTAD (Society of Psychotherapy Research Interest Section on Psychotherapy Training and Professional Development)
Since 2011 Full member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Psychotherapy under Section 11 of the Psychotherapy Act (
)
2016–2025
Director of the Centre for Mental Health and Psychotherapy (ZPP) at Witten/Herdecke University
2013– 2025
Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy I at Witten/Herdecke University
2021
Recognition of the second specialism in Systemic Psychotherapy by the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Psychotherapists (further training 1991–1995)
2018–2020
Chair of the Steering Committee of SPRISTAD (Society of Psychotherapy Research Interest Section on Psychotherapy Training and Professional Development)
2009 – 2010
Acting Professor at the Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ruhr University Bochum
2007–2013
: Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
2004 – 2005
: Acting Professor at the Chair of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen
2003
Visiting Professor at the University of Chicago (Committee on Human Development)
2000
Postdoctoral university lecturing qualification at Ruhr University Bochum
2000 – 2013
Supervisor at the Centre for Psychotherapy, Ruhr University Bochum
1999
Full licence to practice as a psychological psychotherapist (behavioural therapy)
1991
Completed further training in systemic therapy
1989
Completed training in cognitive behavioural therapy
1989
Conducted doctoral studies and was awarded a PhD (Dr. phil.) from Ruhr University Bochum
1986 – 2013
Research Fellow/Assistant at the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ruhr University Bochum.
Teaching
Module coordinator for modules PMQ3a (Outpatient Vocational Training III – Basic) and PMQ3b (Outpatient Vocational Training III – Advanced) on the Master’s programme in Psychology, specialising in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.