工作重点:博士. 塞娅Karavadra, Professor of 心理学 - 巴塞罗那

的 CEA CAPA工作人员聚光灯 is a monthly series highlighting the individuals who teach courses 和 provide academic instruction at our global study centers in different 宝博体育 locations across the world. 的ir teaching leaves a mark on students who 宝博体育. This month, we meet 塞娅Karavadra, DPsyc, (she/her) from our 巴塞罗那的目的地.

Q: WHICH COURSE(S) DO YOU TEACH AT CEA CAPA?

Dr. Karavadra: I teach Abnormal 心理学 和 Cognitive 心理学.

Q: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TEACHING FOR CEA CAPA?

Dr. Karavadra: I’ve been teaching with CEA CAPA for three years.

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR ACADEMIC INTERESTS AND FOCUS(ES)?

Dr. Karavadra: Over the course of my academic 和 clinical career I have developed an interest in working with 少数民族, such as those identifying as LGBTQIA +, racial 和 ethnic minorities, 和 more recently with those identifying as profession-based minorities such as sex-workers. Focusing on such 少数民族 who experience stigma 和 discrimination, where risks are high 和 where help-seeking is low, has become a passion in my work, both academically 和 clinically. Exploring the experiences of such 少数民族 through qualitative research, focusing on giving voice to those who are historically under-represented 和 stigmatized within the field of psychology is something I feel compelled to try 和 address through my work.

Another academic interest I have is the experiences of those who self-harm; my doctoral thesis explored the experiences of LGBTQIA + individuals who engage in self-harm.

Finally, I’m also interested in psychosexual psychotherapy. Sexual problems which are psychologically rooted are common 和 don’t follow the stereotypes we might imagine. People carry a lot of shame around such difficulties 和 I enjoy working with them to address the issue, 以及他们对它的看法. 与性打交道, 性, 性别, 和 少数民族 在一般情况下 is something I felt my academic 和 clinical training didn’t adequately address 和 I therefore aim to ensure my students to not experience the same disparity. I try to create an environment within which my students are encouraged to think critically about such topics while confronting assumptions about themselves, 彼此, 和 mental health 和 well-being 在一般情况下.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS?

Dr. Karavadra: Finally completing my doctorate was of course a professional highlight. At age 18 I enrolled in an undergraduate degree in business 和 marketing; I have no idea why 和 I failed miserably. I changed to a psychology degree 和 quickly decided I wanted to become a psychologist, but was daunted by the 10 years it'd take to get there. In the end it took a lot longer. I graduated from my doctorate aged 35! It was such a long 和 treacherous journey which I wanted to quit often. Life threw me countless curve balls 和 thwarted my plans again 和 again, so it took what felt like forever. It wasn’t until I finally attended graduation, 穿着礼服, 扔帽子, 和 took the obligatory pictures with my family that it all sunk in; I was finally done 和 it felt great.

Another professional highlight for me was my conducting doctoral thesis. 写这本书花了5年时间, it evolved 和 changed so much over those years that I often doubted my ability to tackle the complex topic I was focusing on: experiences of self-harm in LGBTQIA + individuals. What helped motivate me was a commitment to giving voice to those participants who volunteered to share their stories with me. It was an intense process 和 I felt a strong sense of responsibility to analyze, 解释, 和 report their interviews as best I could. I feel really satisfied that I could do so, particularly given the how underrepresented both LGBTQIA + experiences 和 experiences of self-harm are in qualitative research.

Finally, simply being a professor of any kind is indeed a professional highlight for me! I’ve had a public speaking phobia since childhood where I would panic, 摇, 和 stutter to the point of not being able to speak in front of groups. I never thought teaching was even a possibility for me. Despite working successfully with clients who experienced the same difficulty 和 knowing the treatment protocol, 等., I couldn’t overcome it 和 avoided public speaking at all costs. So, the fact that I now thoroughly enjoy st和ing up in front of a class full of students 和 delivering a lecture feels great.

Q: PLEASE 分享 SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR CLASS OR ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE.

Dr. Karavadra: I aim to create classes within which we discuss, reflect, 和 challenge 彼此 often. I encourage students to not blindly accept the conclusions of the research papers, 理论, 我们涵盖的模型, 甚至不知道我教他们什么, but instead to question things from a well-formed critical perspective. This can be tough for them 和 debates can be lively. 的re is an increasing censorship in the academic world (和 beyond), which I can feel my students are aware 和 cautious of. While I’m strict about maintaining respect for 彼此’s opinions, I most definitively encourage discussions about difficult 和 complex topics in mental health 和 beyond. I find that once students feel comfortable 和 safe in the classroom, they usually have a lot to say 和 I’m committed to ensuring that my classes are a place that enables them to do so. 

Q: WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT TEACHING STUDY ABROAD STUDENTS?

Dr. Karavadra: It sounds cliché but I most enjoy seeing the progress in my students over the course of the semester. In the first few weeks they are reserved, daunted, 和 hesitant to participate or share their ideas. It’s a big adjustment arriving in 巴塞罗那 for most of them. But by the end of the semester, I can see amazing progress where students can think critically 和 insightfully about all kinds of topics. 的y develop a confidence in their ability to communicate their ideas 和 I emphasize the need for them to do this formally 和 academically also. I enjoy seeing their ideas challenged 和 them making sense of the content I introduce them to.

Additionally, the international nature of 留学项目 means that I also get to learn a lot from my students each semester. While my expertise is in psychology, students in my class come from all kinds of backgrounds 和 disciplines so they often hold perspectives which are new 和 intriguing to me. I may think about a certain topic for years 和 sometimes a student will offer a perspective on that same topic which I never even considered; this I enjoy a lot.

关于博士. 塞娅KARAVADRA

塞娅Karavadra is a doctor of psychology, psychotherapist, 和 professor of psychology. She’s living 和 working in 巴塞罗那 for the last five years. She has an extensive academic 和 clinical background, 和 currently works in 私人 practice providing therapy to adults, 和 teaching two undergraduate psychology classes at CEA CAPA. Dr. Karavadra has 15 years of experience working in mental health within a variety of different roles 和 settings including public, 私人, 以及慈善机构. She completed a majority of her training in 伦敦, gaining a masters from King’s College 和 a professional doctorate from City, 伦敦大学. Her clinical work entails providing psychotherapy to adults experiencing all kinds of mental health difficulties, drawing on multiple models of therapy but primarily working from a psychoanalytical perspective. Dr. Karavadra has been teaching at CEA CAPA for the last three years 和 embraces her role as a professor with CEA CAPA as an opportunity to exchange ideas with students, encouraging them to challenge their own assumptions regarding mental health 和 psychology 在一般情况下.