Dr. Sara Forti, PhD, DClinPsy
Psychologist, Neuro-Psychologist, EMDR therapist lev. II
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Post-Rationalist Therapy
Expert on Mindfulness and Forensic Psychology
Qualifications
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Bachelor's Degree in Psychology (Università di Padova)
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Master's Degree in Experimental Psychology (Università di Padova)
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Doctorate in Behavioural Neurosciences (University of Birmingham, UK)
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Doctorate in Clinical Psychology on Cognitive-Behavioral and Post-Rationalist Psychotherapy (Centro Terapia Cognitiva, Como)
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Abilitation to EMDR Therapy lev. 1 and 2 (Emdr Italia)
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Abilitation to Mindfulness in Therapy (Mindfulness Italia)
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Mindfulness MBSR Teacher (Federmindfulness)
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Master's Degree in Forensic Psychology (Università Cattolica, Milano)
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Master's Degree in Business Administration (University of Birmingham, UK)
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Registered with the Lombardy Register of Psychologists - Psychotherapists Section
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Ordinary Member of SITCC Italian Society for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
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Member of EMDR Italia, EMDR Europe
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Member of Federmindfulness
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Former professor of communication psychology (Università Cattolica Milano)
Contacts
Practicing in Italian and English
in via Elba 10 and Piazza Sei Febbraio 4
Write to: sara.forti@sipsicologia.it
or call: 3206644107
What brought me here
After several years in academic research, today I dedicate myself exclusively to clinical practice. I earned my five-year degree in experimental psychology at the University of Padua in 2000, then completed a PhD in behavioural neuroscience at the University of Birmingham (UK), where I lived for several years, continuing my research activity as a post-doc. Upon returning to Italy in 2006, as a Principal Investigator at IRCCS Eugenio Medea, I obtained a Master’s degree in forensic psychology and an adjunt professorship at the Catholic University of Milan. At thirty-five, I began the four-year post-graduate doctorate in cognitive and post-rationalist psychotherapy at the Cognitive Therapy Center of Como, completed with honours, then trained as an EMDR therapist and as an expert in mindfulness.
My way of being a therapist
I do not claim the right to interpret other people's experiences, as no one can know us better than we know ourselves. My role is to provide the method to achieve a better understanding of oneself. My responsibility is to ensure that this journey toward self-awareness happens safely and securely, with the feeling of reaching it together, and thus allowing to accept and integrate both the parts of oneself that are liked and those that are not. The aim is to identify how to achieve one's goals in a more functional and less painful manner. Starting a psychotherapy journey means putting yourself into question, and it may not be easy, but it can allow a radical change in the attitude towards oneself, towards your past, present, and future, achieving results that will last a lifetime. All this is possible only when there is a good relationship between the patient (or client) and the therapist. Therefore, I work with an individualized method, where we create the path and make sense together, with mutual collaboration towards the shared goals, always respecting individual and cultural differences.
A post-rationalist therapist
Coming from years of research, I try to apply also in the clinical practice methods and techniques that have proven effectiveness and are supported by international scientific research. This is why the foundation of my work is Attachment theory, and I wanted to establish International Psychology Practice as a landmark for therapists who are passionate about the research in this field. Having studied for years the individual differences in each of our neural networks, as a therapist I have embraced the cognitive post-rationalish method, which emphasizes individual differences, since our perception of events is inevitably influenced by what we have already experienced in the past.
An integrated approach
My therapeutic practice is strictly individualized, tailored on the client’s needs. I integrate: - Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: recognized by international guidelines as one of the most effective in resolving most psychopathological symptoms; - Cognitive Post-Rationalist therapy: a more recent version of cognitive therapy, that is more in accordance with neuro-physiological findings of individual variety in associative neural networks, and a greater prevalence of emotions and physical sensations in guiding human behavior; - EMDR therapy: has received significant validation from international scientific committees and has proven effective even in biologically reprogramming associative neural networks related to personal experience; - Ego-state therapy and Internal Family Systems: closely connected to EMDR therapy in exploring and integrating different parts of our personality; - Mindfulness and some aspects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): the latest wave of clinical cognitivism that is incorporating into the therapeutic method some concepts derived from Eastern philosophy, such as self-acceptance, self-compassion, and de-identification from thought.