Biography
Debra Bekerian received her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in experimental psychology. After graduating she took a position at the Medical Research Council, Applied Psychology Unit, Cambridge, UK as a senior researcher, where she focused on applied memory issues. Her interest in memory and trauma led her to become a licensed Gestalt therapist, concentrating on Gestalt group psychotherapy. She has published extensively on memory issues and has written and co-edited books on applied psychology and offender profiling.
Professional Interests
- Cognitive-affective models of emotion
- Effects of early trauma on cognition
- Psycho-social determinants of health outcomes
- Gestalt approach to group psychotherapy
Education and Certifications
- PhD, University of California, Berkeley, 1978
Courses
- Cognitive and Affective Basis of Behavior
- Group Psychotherapy
- Research Practicum
Scholarship and Contributions to the Field
- Bekerian, D.A. (2006). "Libraries: Linking the Past to the Future." Big C . Beijing, China
- Stokes, D., Dritschel, B. & Bekerian, D.A. (2005). "The effect of burn injury on adolescents autobiographical memory." Behaviour Research and Therapy
- Bekerian, D. A. & Levey, A. B. (2005). Applied Psychology: Integrating theory and practice. Oxford, Eng: Oxford University Press