My research is driven by the belief that “There is no health without mental health.” As a clinical psychologist, I am deeply interested in understanding how existing clinical psychological interventions can be adapted to better suit specific groups and made more accessible to diverse populations. Together with my research team, we explore key questions such as:
Research projects
1. Behavioral Medicine: How can psychotherapeutic approaches be tailored to address the needs of individuals primarily experiencing physical symptoms, such as tinnitus, endometriosis, or chronic pain?
2. Internet-Based Psychotherapy: How can new technologies, such as smartphone apps or browser-based programs, be leveraged to enhance the accessibility and availability of psychotherapy? This includes improving access for individuals who face barriers due to their geographic location, time constraints, or other obstacles that might hinder them from attending conventional psychological treatment.
3. Culture-Sensitive Clinical Psychology: What role do cultural factors play in psychological distress and the decision to seek (mental) health care? How can we better incorporate these factors when designing and implementing psychological interventions? Additionally, how should training for psychotherapists be structured to increase their awareness of culturally sensitive treatment and en-hance their ability to provide effective care in diverse cultural contexts?
InterFEARence – Assessing feared movements in people with chronic back pain with EmpkinS sensor technology
(Third Party Funds Group – Sub project)
Overall project: Empathokinästhetische Sensorik Term: 1. October 2024 - 30. June 2029 Funding source: DFG / Sonderforschungsbereich (SFB) URL: https://www.klips-bht.phil.fau.de/
The aim ofthis subproject the identification of distinct posture and movementpatterns that differentiate between high and low fear avoidance in patientswith chronic primary low back pain through EmpkinS sensor technologies. Fearavoidance explains, how avoidant, dysfunctional behavior leads to and maintainschronic pain. Investigating fear avoidance in chronic primary low back pain isimportant, as it is a highly prevalent health condition with extensiveconsequences. Our objective is pivotal, as it bridges the gap betweenself-reported fear avoidance and observable movement behaviors in the form ofcharacteristic movement patterns. Further, we investigate the association ofacute (anticipatory) stress responses and fear avoidance with its relatedmovement changes. Innovative EmpkinS sensor technologies allow for a detailedassessment and analysis without intruding on the participant’s naturalmovement, thereby providing a more accurate representation of their fearavoidance behavior than previous marker-based optical motion capture systems.
This project is a randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of a smartphone app with a cognitive-behavioral approach for women affected by premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Participants keep a symptom diary for two menstrual cycles and will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group (app access for 8 weeks) or the control group. The app contains 16 mandatory modules, including cognitive strategies to deal with less helpful, symptom-related thoughts. Data will be collected four times to assess the impact of the app on the severity, impact and disability of PMDD.
Tinnitus and neurofeedback - is it all in the mind? A randomised controlled trial assessing the specificity of an alpha/delta neurofeedback training protocol in alleviating both sound perception and psychological distress in a cohort of chronic tinnitus sufferers
(Non-FAU Project)
Term: 1. September 2017 - 30. November 2025 Funding source: andere Förderorganisation
Tinnitus is a common condition that, for some individuals, is associated with significant psychological distress and impairments in daily functioning. Although various coping strategies and therapeutic approaches exist, no curative treatment is currently available. Neurofeedback represents a promising yet underexplored therapeutic approach. Initial studies using an alpha/delta training protocol have reported positive effects on tinnitus distress and perceived loudness. However, their findings are limited due to small sample sizes and the absence of appropriate control conditions.
This research project aims to systematically investigate the effectiveness of neurophysiological interventions for distressing tinnitus. A randomized controlled trial with three study arms compares two neurofeedback protocols—alpha/delta ratio neurofeedback (ADR-NF) and beta/theta ratio neurofeedback (BTR-NF)—with a minimal intervention control group based on structured diary use. The goal of the study is to determine whether these interventions can reduce tinnitus-related distress and loudness. In addition, the project examines whether tinnitus is associated with impairments in executive attention processes. Alongside clinical and subjective outcomes, neurophysiological parameters are assessed to explore potential mechanisms of action and to contribute to a more robust evidence base for neurofeedback as a treatment option for chronic tinnitus.
Searchfield, G.D., Zhang, J., Biswas, R., De Ridder, D., Deutsch, B., Hall, D.A.,... Zheng, Y. (2021). Emerging Topics in the Behavioral Neuroscience of Tinnitus. In Grant D. Searchfield, Jinsheng Zhang (Eds.), The Behavioral Neuroscience of Tinnitus. (pp. 461-483). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH.
My research is driven by the belief that “There is no health without mental health.” As a clinical psychologist, I am deeply interested in understanding how existing clinical psychological interventions can be adapted to better suit specific groups and made more accessible to diverse populations. Together with my research team, we explore key questions such as:
Research projects
InterFEARence – Assessing feared movements in people with chronic back pain with EmpkinS sensor technology
(Third Party Funds Group – Sub project)
Term: 1. October 2024 - 30. June 2029
Funding source: DFG / Sonderforschungsbereich (SFB)
URL: https://www.klips-bht.phil.fau.de/
The aim ofthis subproject the identification of distinct posture and movementpatterns that differentiate between high and low fear avoidance in patientswith chronic primary low back pain through EmpkinS sensor technologies. Fearavoidance explains, how avoidant, dysfunctional behavior leads to and maintainschronic pain. Investigating fear avoidance in chronic primary low back pain isimportant, as it is a highly prevalent health condition with extensiveconsequences. Our objective is pivotal, as it bridges the gap betweenself-reported fear avoidance and observable movement behaviors in the form ofcharacteristic movement patterns. Further, we investigate the association ofacute (anticipatory) stress responses and fear avoidance with its relatedmovement changes. Innovative EmpkinS sensor technologies allow for a detailedassessment and analysis without intruding on the participant’s naturalmovement, thereby providing a more accurate representation of their fearavoidance behavior than previous marker-based optical motion capture systems.
Belle-App: Efficacy of a CBT-based mobile application to reduce premenstrual complaints
(Own Funds)
URL: https://bellehealth.co/
This project is a randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of a smartphone app with a cognitive-behavioral approach for women affected by premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Participants keep a symptom diary for two menstrual cycles and will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group (app access for 8 weeks) or the control group. The app contains 16 mandatory modules, including cognitive strategies to deal with less helpful, symptom-related thoughts. Data will be collected four times to assess the impact of the app on the severity, impact and disability of PMDD.
Tinnitus and neurofeedback - is it all in the mind? A randomised controlled trial assessing the specificity of an alpha/delta neurofeedback training protocol in alleviating both sound perception and psychological distress in a cohort of chronic tinnitus sufferers
(Non-FAU Project)
Funding source: andere Förderorganisation
Tinnitus is a common condition that, for some individuals, is associated with significant psychological distress and impairments in daily functioning. Although various coping strategies and therapeutic approaches exist, no curative treatment is currently available.
Neurofeedback represents a promising yet underexplored therapeutic approach. Initial studies using an alpha/delta training protocol have reported positive effects on tinnitus distress and perceived loudness. However, their findings are limited due to small sample sizes and the absence of appropriate control conditions.
This research project aims to systematically investigate the effectiveness of neurophysiological interventions for distressing tinnitus. A randomized controlled trial with three study arms compares two neurofeedback protocols—alpha/delta ratio neurofeedback (ADR-NF) and beta/theta ratio neurofeedback (BTR-NF)—with a minimal intervention control group based on structured diary use. The goal of the study is to determine whether these interventions can reduce tinnitus-related distress and loudness. In addition, the project examines whether tinnitus is associated with impairments in executive attention processes. Alongside clinical and subjective outcomes, neurophysiological parameters are assessed to explore potential mechanisms of action and to contribute to a more robust evidence base for neurofeedback as a treatment option for chronic tinnitus.
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
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