About Me
I was appointed Professor of Developmental Psychology in the University of Pavia in 2000.
Prior to the current post I worked as researcher and clinician at IRCS San Raffaele of Milan (1988-1995) and as a researcher at the University of Trieste from 1995 - 2000.
Since 1990 I have been a member of the Italian Psychologists’ Association (OPL) as psychologist and psychotherapist. My main clinical interests are in the field of socio-emotional development, parenting and personality disorders.
I gained a Master degree in Philosophy at Genoa University in 1984. I continued my studies at the Catholic University in Milan, where I received my Ph.D. in Psychology in 1992.
While a Ph.D student, I also completed a research fellowship at The New York-Hospital-Cornell Medical Center (1990-91), dealing with emotion regulation and borderline personality disorder.
I specialised in attachment assessment, with trainings and certifications for the following instruments: “Adult Attachment Interview”, “Strange Situation Procedure”, “Manchester Child Attachment Story Task”, “Hostile/Helplessness AAI Coding System”, “Emotional Availability Scale”.
I’m a member of the Italian Society for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy - SITCC and co-Director (with Furio Lambruschi) of the developmental psychopathology area-AIPEE
My main interests are:
• the socio-emotional development field, (i.e. attachment and risk factors in development)
• Borderline Personality Disorder treatment models.
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy - DBT model of Marsha Linehan - is the one which I deserved mostly of my clinical and scientific work (2011 invited Professor at Washington University by Marsha Linehan). I’m co-founder of the Italian Society for Dialectical Behavior Therapy - SIDBT.
• I’m currently dealing with adolescence, parenting interventions, adoption, parents’ evaluation and short or long-term risk factors in adoption adjustment.
Here you can find my main research interests, my CV (updated version in Italian), some of my publications, clinical facilities, teaching activities and material for students.
EDUCATION
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Attachment and social-emotional development in typical and atypical samples
1981-1984
University of Genova, Italy
Graduation in Phylosophy
Parenting and adoption
Evidence-based intervention on parenting
Attachment and personality disorders
1985-1988
Catholic University of Milan, Italy
Specialization in Psychology
1989-1992
Ph.D. in Psychology
1992-94
Universita of Milan, Italy
Post-doc position in Psychology