Ulrike Willutzki

Prof. Dr Ulrike Willutzki holds the Senior Professorship in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.

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 exploring 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

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

Full licence to practice as a psychological psychotherapist (specialising in behavioural therapy and systemic therapy)

Clinical specialisms:

• Resource activation in psychotherapy
• Psychotherapy for social anxiety disorders
• Cognitive therapy
• Systemic therapy (fundamentals, multi-person settings, solution-focused brief therapy)
• Building the psychotherapeutic relationship
• Supervision and further training in supervision

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.

Module coordinator for modules PMQ3a (Outpatient Vocational Training III – Foundation) and PMQ3b (Outpatient Vocational Training III – Advanced) on the Master’s degree programme in Psychology, specialising in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.

ResearchGate

Google Scholar

ORCID

Questionnaires:

• Witten Resources Questionnaire – WIRF
• Bochum Change Questionnaire 2000 (BVB-2000) – Information on the instrument and its analysis

German versionEnglish version