“Meeting of the Minds” Conference Series
The Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy is part of prestigious, world-class scientific networks through its research programs (consortiums), knowledge exchange programs and memberships. Thus, as part of the “Meeting of the Minds Conference Series” we periodically invite top professionals in the major fields of interest of the Department. These guests are part of the same prestigious scientific network, and are selected from among the top 10 at the international level (through ISI publications, patents, innovative products) in their main field of interest.
The “Meeting of the Minds Conference Series” is organized on levels, so that the entire community of the Department can derive a maximum benefit (professors, researchers, psychologists, students, collaborators). Thus: (1) an initial presentation is organized for the members of the Department, with attendance based on invitation, which revolves around frontier research issues in the field of the speaker; (2) critical analyses and debates follow, related to frontier issues in the domain of the guest, and of interest for the Department, as a starting point for planning new research involving department members and collaborators. Some of these debates are made public, either as they take place – online/videoconference, or later (through recordings), to those interested, with a special focus on our students; (3) guests also give a Workshop/Public lecture, open to students and to others interested.
This institutional quality assurance mechanism ensures that the Department stays tuned, at the highest levels of quality, to major research/professional areas at the international level. Members of the Department take part, in their turn, in such events organized by other countries in the network (see the CV of department members for a list of these presentations). Not all scientific/professional activities of the Department are also part of the “Meetings of the Minds Conference Series”
Participants 2007
Guests in order of their visit:
(1) Dr. Frank Dattilio, Harvard Medical School, USA; domain – psychotherapy; interest/specialization: couple and family cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy
(2) Dr. Thomas Dowd, Kent State University, USA; domain – psychotherapy; interest/specialization: cognitive- behavioral hypnosis and hypnotherapy
(3) Dr. Manfred Doepfner, University of Cologne, Germany; domain – psychotherapy and clinical psychology; interest/specialization: child and adolescents psychotherapy and clinical psychology (ADHD)
(4) Dr. Steve Lynn, SUNY at Binghamton, USA; domain-psychotherapy/ social and cognitive sciences; interest/specialization: cognitive-behavioral clinical hypnosis
(5) Dr. Albert Rizzo and collaborators, Institute for Creative Technology, USA; domain- scientifically validated assessment and therapy/cognitive science; interest/specialization-virtual reality assessment and therapeutic technologies
(6) “the Key-note” presentations from “Latini Dies – CBT” International Conferences. The Website of the Conferences can be found at: (Link)
Participants 2008
“New Frontiers în Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy“ Symposium
Guests in alphabetical order:
(1) Dr. Jacques Barber, University of Pennsylvania, USA; domain-psychotherapy; interest/specialization-dynamic psychotherapies, mechanisms of change in psychotherapy (2) Dr. Domenico Coviello, University Hospital of Milan, Italy; EuroGenTest; domain-medicine; interest/specialization-clinical genetics
(3) Dr. Raymond DiGiuseppe, Albert Ellis Institute, USA, past-president of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies; domain-psychotherapy; interest/specialization-rational-emotive and cognitive behavioral therapy
(4) Dr. Arthur Freeman, Academy of Cognitive Therapy, USA, past-president of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies; domain-psychotherapy; interest/specialization-cognitive therapy
(5) Dr. Douglas Mennin, Yale University, USA; domain-psychotherapy/clinical psychology; interest/specialization-clinical cognitive science/emotional regulation/anxiety
(6) Dr. Alexandru Popescu, Oxford University, UK; domain-psychiatry; interest/specialization-autism, phenomenological approach
(7) Dr. Bernhard Strauss, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Germany, past-president of the Society for Psychotherapy Research; domain-psychotherapy; interest/specialization-mechanism of change in psychotherapy
(8) Dr. Simon Wallace, Oxford University, UK; domain-clinical psychology; interest/specialization-autism and virtual reality technologies
(9) Dr. Kelly Wilson, USA, past-president of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science; domain-psychotherapy; interest/specialization-acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT; founder along with Steven Hayes)
“Romanian Diaspora in Scientific Research” Conference – “Clinical Cognitive Sciences” Workshop, the “key-note” presentations; funded by the Ministry of Education and Research; see link
Participants – 2009
Guests in order of their visit:
(1) Dr. Giorgio Bonmassar, Harvard Medical School, USA; domain-clinical neurosciences; interest/specialization-brain imaging technologies
(2) Dr. Michael First, Columbia University, USA; domain-psychopathology interest/specialization-nosologic assessment of psychopathology (DSM-V)
(3) Dr. Pietro Pietrini and collaborators., Pisa University, Italy; domain-clinical neurosciences; interest/specialization-clinical cognitive neurosciences and clinical genetics
(4) Dr. Michael Bernard, Albert Ellis Institute, USA; domain- psychotherapy; interest/specialization-child and adolescent psychotherapy; health promotion
(5) Dr. Nadine Gaab, Harvard University, USA; domain-clinical neurosciences; interest/specialization-clinical cognitive neurosciences in children and adolescents
(6) Dr. Carl Lejuez, Maryland University, USA; domain-psychotherapy/cognitive sciences; interest/specialization-behavioral therapy and emotional regulation
(7) Symposium “Diagnostic Assessment and Interventions in Autism and Comorbid Disorders” (November 13-14 2009, Cluj-Napoca); coordinator/director: Dr. Daniel David (Babeş-Bolyai University, Romania) in collaboration with Dr. Anthony Bailey (Oxford University, UK) and Dr. Simon Wallace (Autism Speaks, USA/UK); details will be available shortly
Participanţi – 2010
Guests in order of their visit:
(1) Dr. Julie Schnur, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, USA; domain-clinical psychology; interest/specialization-psychooncology/CBT/REBT/Hipnosis
(2) Dr. Jeffrey Young, Columbia University, USA; domain-clinical psychology/psychotherapy; interest/specialization-CBT (schema-focused therapy)
(3) Dr. Shinji Naruo, Environmental Law and Policy Institute, Japan; domain-bussiness; interest/specialization-coaching/self-management
(4) Dr. Thomas Dowd, Kent State University – psychotherapy; interest/specialization: cognitive- behavioral hypnosis and hypnotherapy
Participants 2011
Guests in order of their visit:
(1) Dr. Bram Vanderborght and Dr. Jelle Saldien, Vrije University, Belgium; domain – engineering/artificial intelligence; interest/specialization – social robotics
(2) Dr. Richard McNally, Harvard University, SUA; domain – clinical psychology; interest/specialization – clinical cognitive sciences (trauma/PTSD/memory)
(3) Dr. Ernst Koster, Ghent University, Belgium: domain – clinical cognitive sciences; interest/specialization – cognitive bias modification
(4) Dr. Rudi De Raedt, Ghent University, Belgium: domain – clinical cognitive sciences; interest/specialization – cognitive bias modification
(5) Dr. Nazanin Derakhshan, Birkbeck, University of London, England: domain – clinical cognitive sciences; interest/specialization – cognitive bias modification
(6) Dr. Stephanos Vassilopoulos, University of Patras, Greece: domain – clinical cognitive sciences; interest/specialization – cognitive bias modification
(7) Dr. Pietro Pietrini, University of Pisa, Italy: domain – neurosciences; interest/specialization – clinical cognitive neurosciences
(8) Dr. Silvia Pellegrini, Universitatea of Pisa, Italy: domain – neurosciences; interest/specialization – clinical cognitive neurosciences
(9) Dr. Claudio Gentili, University of Pisa, Italy: domain – neurosciences; interest/specialization – clinical cognitive neurosciences
(10) Dr. Manuel Schabus, University of Salzburg, Austria: domain – neurosciences; interest/specialization – sleep disorders and psychological treatments
(11) Dr. Irene Guerrini, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust: domain – genetics; interest/specialization – genetics of mental disorders
(12) Dr. Thomas Dowd, Kent State University – psychotherapy; interest/specialization: cognitive- behavioral hypnosis and hypnotherapy
Participants 2012
Guests in order of their visit:
(1) Dr. Serge Thill, University of Skövde, Sweden: domain – engineering/artificial intelligence; interest/specialization – social robotics
(2) Dr. Tom Ziemke, University of Skövde, Sweden: domain – engineering/artificial intelligence; interest/specialization – social robotics
(3) Dr. Tony Belpaeme, Plymouth University, United Kingdom: domain – engineering/artificial intelligence; interest/specialization – social robotics
(4) Dr. Honghai Liu, University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom: domain – engineering/artificial intelligence; interest/specialization – social robotics
(5) Dr. Mark Coeckelbergh, University Twente, Netherlands: domain – ethics; interest/specialization – ethics and technology
(6) Dr. Bram Vanderborght, Vrije Universiteit Brussel: domain – engineering/artificial intelligence; interest/specialization – social robotics
(7) Dr. Thomas Dowd, Kent State University – clinical cognitive sciences; interest/specialization cognitive-behavioral therapy and hypnosis
Participants 2013
(1) Dr. Michael Cavanagh, University of Sydney, Australia: domain – clinical psychology; interest/specialization – cognitive-behavioral coaching
(2) Dr. Thomas Dowd, Kent State University – psychotherapy; interest/specialization: cognitive- behavioral hypnosis and hypnotherapy
Participants 2014
Guests in order of their visit:
(1) Dr. Thomas Dowd, Kent State University – psychotherapy; interest/specialization: cognitive- behavioral hypnosis and hypnotherapy
(2) Dr. Pim Cuijpers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands: domain – clinical psychology; interest/specialization – cognitive-behavioral therapy, internet based psychotherapy
(3) Dr. John Raven, Edinburgh, Scotland: domain – cognitive psychology; interest/specialization – assessment and measurement of cognitive abilities
(4) Dr. Ann Vernon, Albert Ellis Institute, New York, U.S.A.: domain – clinical psychology; interest/specialization – rational emotive education
Participants – 2015
Guests in order of their visit:
(1) Dr. Claudio Gentili, University of Pisa, Italy: domain – neuroscience; specialization – clinical cognitive neurosciences
Participants – 2016
Guests in order of their visit:
(1) Dr. Claudio Gentili, University of Pisa, Italy: domain – neuroscience; specialization – clinical cognitive neurosciences
(2) Dr. Ann Vernon, Albert Ellis Institute, New York, U.S.A.: domain – clinical psychology; specialization – rational emotive education
Participants – 2017
Guests in order of their visit:
(1) Dr. Claudio Gentili, University of Pisa, Italy: domain – neuroscience; specialization – clinical cognitive neurosciences
As part of the 9th Congress of International Association of Cognitive Psychotherapy, were invited:
(2) Dr. Gerhard Andersson, Linköping University and Karolinska Institute, Sweden
(3) Dr. Judith Beck, Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy and University of Pennsylvania, S.U.A.
(4) Dr. David M. Clark, University of Oxford, Marea Britanie
(5) Dr. Pim Cuijpers, VU University Amsterdam, Olanda
(6) Dr. Raymond DiGiuseppe, Albert Ellis Institute and St. John’s University, S.U.A.
(7) Dr. Daniel Freeman, University of Oxford, Marea Britanie
(8) Dr. Martin Hautzinger, Tübingen University, Germania
(9) Dr. Steven Hayes, University of Nevada, S.U.A.
(10) Dr. Stefan Hofmann, Boston University, S.U.A.
(11) Dr. Steven Hollon, Vanderbilt University, S.U.A.
(12) Dr. Robert Leahy, The American Institute for Cognitive Therapy, S.U.A.
(13) Dr. Lata McGinn, Yeshiva University, S.U.A.
(14) Dr. John Riskind, George Mason University, S.U.A.
(15) Dr. Philip Spinhoven, Leiden University, Holland
(16) Dr. Mehmet Sungur, Marmara University, Turkey
(17) Dr. Ed. Watkins, University of Exeter, U.K
Participants – 2018
Guests in order of their visit:
(1) Dr. Alexandru Popescu, Balliol College, University of Oxford, UK, interdisciplinary conference: “Faith and Mental Health” – see link and video
(2) Dr. David Foreman, Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley Hospital, London, UK: “Psychiatry in the Service of the Family”