BSc with Honours in Psychology and Sociology (University of Bath), five-year degree in Life-spam Psychology (Pavia University), Psy.D. in Cognitive-Behavioural Psychotherapy, PhD. in Clinical Psychology. Working in the private sector and in the NHS as an addiction professional and a psychotherapist. EMDR Licensed Therapist.
SUMMARY Individuals who suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) experience intense mood... more SUMMARY Individuals who suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) experience intense mood shifts, emotional liability, uncontrolled impulses, and self-harming behaviors to soothe the pain caused by feelings of emptiness in response to a real or imaginary abandonment. These coping strategies initially reduce emotional activation , though they can lead to serious consequences later. Cognitive-behavioural Therapy (CBT) for BPD aims at creating a therapeutic alliance to establish, together with the patient, clear therapeutic objectives. Among these, dysfunctional beliefs cognitive restructuring, identifying early maladaptive Schemas and improving readiness to change in substance use. Skills training promotes the acquisition of interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness. Schema Therapy also helps patients with BPD developing adap-tive coping strategies since it enables to work on the unsatisfied emotional needs during childhood, especially those concerning neglect or abuse. The main objective of the Schema Therapy is to provide patients with the functional fulfilment of their primary emotional needs through healthy interpersonal relationships.
Obesity is one of today's... more Obesity is one of today's most diffused and severe public health problems worldwide. It affects both adults and children with critical physical, social, and psychological consequences. The aim of this review is to appraise the studies that investigated the effects of motivational interviewing techniques in treating overweight and obese children. The electronic databases PubMed and PsychINFO were searched for articles meeting inclusion criteria. The review included studies based on the application of motivational interviewing (MI) components and having the objective of changing body mass index (BMI) in overweight or obese children from age 2 to age 11. Six articles have been selected and included in this review. Three studies reported that MI had a statistically significant positive effect on BMI and on secondary obesity-related behavior outcomes. MI can be applicable in the treatment of overweight and obese children, but its efficacy cannot be proved given the lack of studies carried out on this specific sample.
Chronic diseases and conditions typically require long-term monitoring and treatment protocols bo... more Chronic diseases and conditions typically require long-term monitoring and treatment protocols both in traditional settings and in out-patient frameworks. The economic burden of chronic conditions is a key challenge and new and mobile technologies could offer good solutions. mHealth could be considered an evolution of eHealth and could be defined as the practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile communication devices. mHealth approach could overcome limitations linked with the traditional, restricted, and highly expensive in-patient treatment of many chronic pathologies. Possible applications include stepped mHealth approach, where patients can be monitored and treated in their everyday contexts. Unfortunately, many barriers for the spread of mHealth are still present. Due the significant impact of psychosocial factors on disease evolution, psychotherapies have to be included into the chronic disease protocols. Existing psychological theories of health behavior change have to be adapted to the new technological contexts and requirements. In conclusion, clinical psychology and medicine have to face the “chronic care management” challenge in both traditional and mHealth settings.
Chronic diseases and conditions typically require long-term monitoring and treatment protocols bo... more Chronic diseases and conditions typically require long-term monitoring and treatment protocols both in traditional settings and in out-patient frameworks. The economic burden of chronic conditions is a key challenge and new and mobile technologies could offer good solutions. mHealth could be considered an evolution of eHealth and could be defined as the practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile communication devices. mHealth approach could overcome limitations linked with the traditional, restricted, and highly expensive in-patient treatment of many chronic pathologies. Possible applications include stepped mHealth approach, where patients can be monitored and treated in their everyday contexts. Unfortunately, many barriers for the spread of mHealth are still present. Due the significant impact of psychosocial factors on disease evolution, psychotherapies have to be included into the chronic disease protocols. Existing psychological theories of health behavior change have to be adapted to the new technological contexts and requirements. In conclusion, clinical psychology and medicine have to face the “chronic care management” challenge in both traditional and mHealth settings.
Psychological interventions in cardiac rehabilitation programs appear relevant in as much they si... more Psychological interventions in cardiac rehabilitation programs appear relevant in as much they significantly contribute to achieve the goals of rehabilitation, to reduce the risk of relapses and to improve patients' adherence to therapy. To this aim, motivational interviewing (MI) has shown promising results in improving motivation to change and individuals' confidence in their ability to do so. The purpose of this article is to integrate theory with practice by describing a three-session case scenario. It illustrates how MI's skills and strategies can be used to enhance heart-healthy habits. MI may be synergistic with other treatment approaches and it is used here in conjunction with brief strategic therapy. By the use of MI principles and techniques, the patient reported an increase in his motivation and ability to change, developing a post discharge plan that incorporates self-care behaviors. MI may be effective in motivating and facilitating health behavior change am...
SUMMARY Individuals who suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) experience intense mood... more SUMMARY Individuals who suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) experience intense mood shifts, emotional liability, uncontrolled impulses, and self-harming behaviors to soothe the pain caused by feelings of emptiness in response to a real or imaginary abandonment. These coping strategies initially reduce emotional activation , though they can lead to serious consequences later. Cognitive-behavioural Therapy (CBT) for BPD aims at creating a therapeutic alliance to establish, together with the patient, clear therapeutic objectives. Among these, dysfunctional beliefs cognitive restructuring, identifying early maladaptive Schemas and improving readiness to change in substance use. Skills training promotes the acquisition of interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness. Schema Therapy also helps patients with BPD developing adap-tive coping strategies since it enables to work on the unsatisfied emotional needs during childhood, especially those concerning neglect or abuse. The main objective of the Schema Therapy is to provide patients with the functional fulfilment of their primary emotional needs through healthy interpersonal relationships.
Obesity is one of today's... more Obesity is one of today's most diffused and severe public health problems worldwide. It affects both adults and children with critical physical, social, and psychological consequences. The aim of this review is to appraise the studies that investigated the effects of motivational interviewing techniques in treating overweight and obese children. The electronic databases PubMed and PsychINFO were searched for articles meeting inclusion criteria. The review included studies based on the application of motivational interviewing (MI) components and having the objective of changing body mass index (BMI) in overweight or obese children from age 2 to age 11. Six articles have been selected and included in this review. Three studies reported that MI had a statistically significant positive effect on BMI and on secondary obesity-related behavior outcomes. MI can be applicable in the treatment of overweight and obese children, but its efficacy cannot be proved given the lack of studies carried out on this specific sample.
Chronic diseases and conditions typically require long-term monitoring and treatment protocols bo... more Chronic diseases and conditions typically require long-term monitoring and treatment protocols both in traditional settings and in out-patient frameworks. The economic burden of chronic conditions is a key challenge and new and mobile technologies could offer good solutions. mHealth could be considered an evolution of eHealth and could be defined as the practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile communication devices. mHealth approach could overcome limitations linked with the traditional, restricted, and highly expensive in-patient treatment of many chronic pathologies. Possible applications include stepped mHealth approach, where patients can be monitored and treated in their everyday contexts. Unfortunately, many barriers for the spread of mHealth are still present. Due the significant impact of psychosocial factors on disease evolution, psychotherapies have to be included into the chronic disease protocols. Existing psychological theories of health behavior change have to be adapted to the new technological contexts and requirements. In conclusion, clinical psychology and medicine have to face the “chronic care management” challenge in both traditional and mHealth settings.
Chronic diseases and conditions typically require long-term monitoring and treatment protocols bo... more Chronic diseases and conditions typically require long-term monitoring and treatment protocols both in traditional settings and in out-patient frameworks. The economic burden of chronic conditions is a key challenge and new and mobile technologies could offer good solutions. mHealth could be considered an evolution of eHealth and could be defined as the practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile communication devices. mHealth approach could overcome limitations linked with the traditional, restricted, and highly expensive in-patient treatment of many chronic pathologies. Possible applications include stepped mHealth approach, where patients can be monitored and treated in their everyday contexts. Unfortunately, many barriers for the spread of mHealth are still present. Due the significant impact of psychosocial factors on disease evolution, psychotherapies have to be included into the chronic disease protocols. Existing psychological theories of health behavior change have to be adapted to the new technological contexts and requirements. In conclusion, clinical psychology and medicine have to face the “chronic care management” challenge in both traditional and mHealth settings.
Psychological interventions in cardiac rehabilitation programs appear relevant in as much they si... more Psychological interventions in cardiac rehabilitation programs appear relevant in as much they significantly contribute to achieve the goals of rehabilitation, to reduce the risk of relapses and to improve patients' adherence to therapy. To this aim, motivational interviewing (MI) has shown promising results in improving motivation to change and individuals' confidence in their ability to do so. The purpose of this article is to integrate theory with practice by describing a three-session case scenario. It illustrates how MI's skills and strategies can be used to enhance heart-healthy habits. MI may be synergistic with other treatment approaches and it is used here in conjunction with brief strategic therapy. By the use of MI principles and techniques, the patient reported an increase in his motivation and ability to change, developing a post discharge plan that incorporates self-care behaviors. MI may be effective in motivating and facilitating health behavior change am...
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