Tania Lincoln studied Psychology in Marburg, Germany. She completed her PhD on exposure therapy for social anxiety disorder in 2003 and her training as a clinical psychologist in 2004. From 2003 to 2005 she worked in a psychiatric mental health setting, where she became increasingly interested in psychological therapy for psychosis. From 2005 to 2011 she completed her post-doctoral qualification at the University of Marburg where she was the principal investigator in a randomized controlled trial on CBT for psychosis. Since 2011 she is professor for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at the University of Hamburg, where she has continued to focus on understanding the psychological mechanisms of psychotic symptoms and on improving interventions for psychosis.

PRE-CONGRESS WORKSHOP on 05.09.2018, 09:00-17:00:

We can do more than just offer medication! A practical introduction to cognitive behavioural interventions for psychosis

Does talking about delusions make matters worse? How can we help patients deal with threatening hallucinations? How do we prevent relapses? And are there types of interventions that are contra-indicated when it comes to psychosis? Many therapists still feel uncertain when they are faced with psychotic symptoms. Promisingly, however, the last 20 years have witnessed increased research on psychological interventions for psychosis. We are now in the fortunate situation to have a range of psychological interventions for this group of patients from which we can select the most suitable ones based on patients’ goals, situation and preferences.  

The first part of the workshop will provide an overview of the different types of psychological interventions available and their evidence base for different outcomes. This will be followed by a more comprehensive introduction to cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis (CBTp) and the research it builds on. The main part of the workshop will detail some of the basic components of CBTp, such as building rapport, developing individualised models of explanation, challenging beliefs associated with distressing symptoms, and encouraging behavioural changes. This part will involve practical demonstrations and role-plays. The final part will provide an outlook on recent developments in the field that have taken specific symptom-focused approaches to delusions, hallucinations and negative symptoms.

KEYNOTE on 07.09.2018, 17:30-18:30:

How close have we come to understanding delusions?

In the tradition of psychiatry, delusions have been seen as meaningless effusions of a diseased brain. Accordingly, psychological approaches were considered a waste of time. During the last several decades, researchers have taken on the challenge of understanding the psychological mechanisms that explain how delusional beliefs arise and are maintained. This understanding involves linking the increasingly well-known social and biological factors to individual dispositions that make a person vulnerable to misinterpreting experiences in a way that gives rise to delusions. The key-note will cover some of this research that draws on epidemiological, experimental and experience-sampling studies, and will derive its implications for psychological approaches to delusions.