Demistifying Personalization in Psychotherapy

Maria Karekla, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist, peer-reviewed Acceptance and Commitment Therapy trainer, and Associate Professor, University of Cyprus, and heads the “ACTHealthy: Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Medicine” laboratory. Her research focuses on areas of health promotion and the investigation of individual difference factors (especially psychological flexibility parameters) as they relate to the development and maintenance of various behavioural difficulties. She also examines the treatment of these difficulties utilizing process-based and Contextual Behavioral Science principles and innovative delivery methods (e.g., digital interventions, virtual reality) in line with precision and personalized medicine. This led to very successful digital interventions for which she received numerous local, European and international grants, and awards. She is appointed by the Cyprus Minister of Health to the National Strategic Planning Committee for Mental Health and the National Advisory Committee for Tobacco Control, and the Board on Medically Assisted Reproduction and previously in the National Bioethics Committee. She served as the convenor of the European Federation of Psychology Associations’ (EFPA) Psychology and Health committee and is a member of the e-health task force. She is the immediate past-President of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS), from where she received the status of “Fellow” in 2019. In 2023 she became a fellow of the European Health Psychology Society and in 2021 by the Society of Behavioral Medicine, whereas in 2018 she was nominated as Cyprus “Woman of the Year: Academic/Researcher category.” She has published more than 140 peer-reviewed scientific articles, 13 chapters in edited books, 3 books, 4 technical reports and numerous papers in scientific conference proceedings. Her first psychotherapeutic children’s story book was nominated for the 2017 National Literary Awards (category Children/Adolescents) and for her illustrations for the book. She is active in scientific journal editorial boards (e.g., Journal of Contextual Behavior Science, Cognitive Research and Therapy). Moreover, she is a TEDx speaker and she has been hosted and interviewed for her work by numerous podcasts, newspapers, TV and radio stations nationally and internationally.

Stavroula Sanida, M.Sc., is a highly experienced licensed psychologist and psychotherapist based in Athens, Greece, with a clinical career spanning over 15 years. She specializes in evidence-based therapies, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP). As a certified trainer in FAP, she is recognized for her expertise in fostering meaningful therapeutic relationships and addressing complex emotional and interpersonal challenges. Ms. Sanida earned her M.Sc. in Mental Health from the University of Athens and has completed intensive training at prestigious institutions, such as The Linehan Institute and the University of Washington. Her professional focus includes treating individuals with borderline personality disorder, depression, anxiety, and interpersonal difficulties. An accomplished trainer and presenter, Ms. Sanida has led workshops and lectures internationally, including at world conferences of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) and other notable academic and professional events. She has also contributed to advancing psychotherapeutic practices through publications and collaborations on innovative therapeutic techniques, such as using personalized metaphors and self-forgiveness interventions. In addition to her clinical work, Ms. Sanida is actively involved in professional organizations. She has held leadership roles, including Chair of the FAP Special Interest Group of ACBS and President-Elect of the Greece-Cyprus Chapter of ACBS. Her dedication to mental health extends to community service, where she has provided psychological support and counseling through local health initiatives and NGO projects.

Vasilis S. Vasiliou, PhD, a Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London is a Chartered Psychologist (C.Psychol) with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and a Registered Clinical and Health Psychologist (Reg. Num: #PYL043565) with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) in the UK. He primarily works as a Research Tutor at the Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (D.Clin.Psy) program and maintains a small private practice. Holding an MSc in Clinical Psychology from Swansea University and a PhD from the University of Cyprus, he completed post-doctoral research at University College Cork and in the UK at Cardiff University and Oxford University, the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS). Dr. Vasiliou’s research focuses on Behavioral Medicine, developing psychological interventions for adults and children with chronic illnesses, especially in non-traditional settings and through digital, personalized approaches. His research has led to innovations in intervention delivery for adults and the pediatric population with chronic pain (e.g., Algea ASpida and HeadFlexy projects) and individuals with skin conditions (Living Well with a Skin Condition program; https://lwsc.psychologyresearch.co.uk/). He also explores innovations in clinical implementation science, such as methods in medical communication in health and illness (https://leadincare.com/), and the personal and societal harms of illegal drugs (myuse.ie), stigma, and medication use, including toxicity from polypharmacy or treatment (e.g., steroid toxicity or chemotherapy-induced side effects, e.g., VAS-UP project: https://vasup.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/).  Dr.  Vasiliou has previously received funding from the Brain, Mind, and Pain-Centred Innovation Grants and serves as an external consultant for Wanax Ltd, an EU-based health technology start-up. Finally, he serves on the board for the Foundation for Contextual & Behavioural Science (ACBS), the OMERACT Steroid toxicity SIG group, and holds editorial roles the Journal of Contextual & Behavioural Science (JCBS), and the British Journal of Health Psychology (BJHP).

Alexandros Maragakis, PhD is an Associate Professor at the American College of Greece and Program Coordinator of the MS in Counseling Psychology. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in both the United States (Michigan) and Greece. Dr. Maragakis earned his MS and PhD at the University of Nevada, Reno where he was trained by leading experts in multiple third-wave behavior therapies (ACT, DBT, FAP) and completed his predoctoral internship at the University of Maryland Medical System, where he specialized in providing evidence-based treatments to individuals with psychosis. His research focuses on identifying best practices for the training and delivery of evidence-based mental health services within medical settings, particularly primary care, where he has received multiple grants from prestigious agencies, like the Health Resources and Services Administration in the United States. He has also published numerous papers on the use of stepped-care practices in mental health, focusing on ways to better train providers in these practices and ways to reduce systematic barriers that prevent stepped-care utilization. He has published over 35 articles, 15 book chapters, and 5 edited books, primarily focusing on best practices for training providers in evidence-based practices across multiple treatment settings.