Welcome

Psychological support and therapy in English

My name is Claudia Carrara and I offer individual as well as family/couple support and therapy in English at my office in Copenhagen. I obtained my degree in Psychology from Copenhagen University in 2009, majoring in Clinical and Neuropsychology, and in 2013 I completed a Ph.D in Cognitive Psychology. Finally, I am certified EMDR therapist (Expert Level) and I am a member of the EMDR European Association.

During the years, my career and my interests have taken three parallel directions: Research on the neural mechanisms that shape different states of consciousness, psychotherapy and university teaching, the latter at the University of Copenhagen where I have been affiliated as extern lector since 2012.

Born and raised in Italy, I have lived since 1995 in Denmark where I am married and mother of three children.

My premise is that every individual has unique resources and unique ways to perceive life and its challenges. As a psychologist, I focus on identifying the roots of frustrations and difficulties, and on motivating changes that can lead to improved psychological and emotional wellbeing.

Trust and open-mindedness will be the foundations of our therapeutic relation.

You can talk to me in English, Danish or Italian

Articles

Carrara-Augustenborg C. & Schultz G., (2019) The implicit learning of metrical and non-metrical rhythms in blind and sighted adults, Psychol Res. Jul;83(5):907-923. doi: 10.1007/s00426-017-0916-0. Epub 2017 Sep 15.

Almada L., F., Pereira A., Carrara-Augustenborg C. (2013). What Affective Neuroscience Means for Science of Consciousness. In Mens Sana Monographs 11(1):253-73.

Augustenborg C.C. (2010). The Endogenous Feedback Network: a new approach to the comprehensive study of consciousness. Conscious Cogn. 19(2):547-79.

Books & Chapters

Carrara-Augustenborg C. From Objective Informational Broadcast to Subjective Perceptual Awareness: The Development of a Comprehensive Model of Human Consciousness. 2013, Ph.D Dissertation ISBN 978-87-7611-591-3

Carrara-Augustenborg C. (2012). Consciousness extended: Bridging informational broadcast and perceptual awareness within a comprehensive conceptualization of consciousness. In A.E. Cavanna & A. Novi (Eds.), Consciousness: States, Mechanisms and Disorders. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Nova Science.

Carrara-Augustenborg C., Pereira A. Jr. (2012). Brain Endogenous Feedback and Degrees of Consciousness. In A.E. Cavanna & A. Novi (Eds.), Consciousness: States, Mechanisms and Disorders. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Nova Science.

EMDR

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based integrative psychotherapy which was developed by Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. Although the method was originally intended for the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), through the years it has proven to be very effective in the treatment of other mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and phobias. The Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, on which EMDR is based, suggests that many psychological disorders stem from the maladaptive encoding and/or incomplete processing of traumatic life experiences. During an EMDR session, the individual recalls distressing memories meanwhile the therapist´s hand movements induce lateral eye movements. This bilateral stimulation enables the individual to perceive memories with more detachment, to feel the emotions less intensely, to reduce the negative physical sensations, and finally to reprocess these memories in a more adaptive way.

Systemic-Relational Psychotherapy

Systemic-relational therapy focuses on the dynamics that surround us (couple, friends, family, colleagues, etc.) and on how we relate to them. To understand the origins of current difficulties, therapy concentrates therefore on the experiences that have shaped the individual’s development, and on the social and family dynamics that have influenced how we approach life. The aim of psychotherapy will therefore be to acquire new strategies for interacting with the social world around us, and to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences that have led to the development of dysfunctional dynamics.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

This approach builds upon evidence-based knowledge that our thoughts, emotions and actions are closely interrelated. The way in which we perceive ourselves, other people or specific situations contributes to shape our feelings and thoughts which in turn can influence the way in which we react in the specific circumstances. These interactive loops, which can play significant roles in shaping our everyday, are unique, just like unique is each one of us. Therapy seeks therefore to identify the way in which we perceive our reality by focusing on our thoughts and feelings.

Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy is a form of psychotherapy whose primary goal is to bring unconscious thoughts and feelings to the conscious mind, enabling individuals to understand the unconscious processes, unresolved conflicts, and early life experiences that influence current behavior and emotions. This approach emphasizes the influence of early childhood experiences and the dynamics of interpersonal relationships on our current mental state. More so, therapy explores the occurrence of unconscious response- and relationship patterns that, rooted in previous experiences, can contribute to shaping specific attitudes and current behaviours.

Depression

Although it may happen to everyone to feel sad and downhearted from time to time, these feelings do not necessarily point to depression. Clinical depression is characterized by a consistent and profound feeling of pessimism and despair towards oneself, own life and the surrounding reality. The hope that the future may bring improvements disappears, and the individual loses all interest and ability to make sense of own life. The feeling of being useless and at the same time responsible for any failure can exacerbate in self-hate, eventually triggering thoughts of death in the mind of the suffering person.

Clinical depression reflects a complex picture that is diagnosed on the basis on the presence of at least one of the following symptoms:

Depressed mood (sadness, despair, crying, sense of emptiness) present for most of the day and almost every day
Absence or significant decrease of interest in all or almost all the activities from which the individual had previously taken pleasure
Tiredness, lack of energy and lack of motivation

In addition, at least 3 of the following symptoms must be present:

Significant increase or decrease in appetite
Insomnia or hypersomnia most days
Psychomotor impairments or restlessness
Chronic fatigue
Lack of energy
Reduced ability to concentrate and pay attention
Inability or reduced ability to make decisions
Recurring thoughts of death or suicide

Symptoms from both groups must be present for at least 15 days (Major Depressive Disorder).
The clinical picture changes if the symptoms last for at least two years (Dysthymia or Persistent Depressive Disorder)
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy has proven useful to help the depressed individual to identify and fight the vicious circles on which the disease is based and at the same time to acquire more functional thought-patterns.

Anxiety

Anxiety is the normal reaction with which we respond to a concrete threat (e.g., if we find ourselves in a life-threatening situation) or figurative (e.g., if we feel we are not respected). In both circumstances, a normal physiological response can lead to an increase in the production of adrenaline (stress hormone), and a decrease in both the production of serotonin (well-being hormone) and GABA (inhibitory neurotransmitter). If present only in particularly difficult and short-lived conditions, these reactions help us to deal promptly with the specific circumstance.

Pathological anxiety is instead a persistent dysfunctional condition in which physiological responses are determined by neutral events (present or hypothesized) and interfere with our psychological wellbeing.

Common psycho-emotional symptoms:
Sense of fear towards specific events or objects
Sense of general fear (the individual cannot indicate a specific cause)
Restlessness
Hypervigilance
Fear of losing control
General and diffuse emotional tension
Irritability
Difficulty concentrating
Poor attention
Inadequate perception of reality

Common somatic symptoms:Neurovegetative symptoms
Breathing problems
Excessive sweating
Hyperpnea (accelerated breathing)
Dizziness
Poor salivation
Arrhythmia (irregular heart beat)
Diarrhea
Tremors

Disorders associated with pathological anxiety: OCD, PTSD, Phobias, Panic Attacks

Trauma

The experience of a particularly tragic or dramatic event can generate trauma. The main symptoms of this mental health disorder involve four emotional and behavioral aspects:

1) (Intrusion) Images experienced at the moment of the events surface during the day (flashbacks) or even during sleep (nightmares). The emotional reaction can be intense to the point of making the individual lose track of time and place: In a matter of seconds, we relive the traumatic events as if they were happening at the precise moment;

2) (Mood disturbances) Insomnia, poor concentration, restlessness, sadness but also detachment from others and from normal daily activities occur frequently and persistently;

3) (Reactivity) The victim of the trauma lives in a state of pervasive agitation and irritation which often leads to unjustified and exaggerated reactions (behavioral and/or emotional);

4) (Physical, emotional and cognitive avoidance) The traumatized person does everything to avoid places, people, environments and circumstances that can be linked to the dramatic events. Sometimes, the intent to avoid any association with the past can cause amnesia for specific details and scenes.

PTSD

Post-traumatic stress syndrome occurs when the psychological and emotional consequences of trauma last for more than 4 weeks (see Trauma)

Impulse control disorders – OCD, Panic attacks

OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and panic attacks are disorders closely associated with anxiety disorders (see above).

Controlled studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Cognitive behavioral therapy and Scheme Therapy which are currently considered the best methods for dealing with impulse control disorders.

Substance abuse – Alcoholism

Compared to group therapy (e.g. anonymous alcoholics) and to other approaches that require the completion of specific phases, controlled studies have demonstrated the greater effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of substance addictions. The main premise of this method is that the abuse of substances represents a way for the individual to find relief from psychological difficulties and negative emotions. In this context, cognito-behavioral approaches (CBT and Schema Therapy) are excellent tools to identify the roots of the internal problems and to suggest healthier and more functional ways to meet them.

Feeding and Eating Disorders

Feeding and Eating disorders are complex pathologies that can emerge already in early childhood. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) currently recognizes 8 categories of feeding and eating disorders:

Pica – Ingestion of non-nutritive substances (e.g., soap, paper, cloth) for a period of at least one month.
Rumination disorder – The regurgitation of food (which is consequently chewed or spitted out) for a period of at least one month (the eventual presence of a physical condition such as gastroesophageal reflux does not constitute basis for the diagnosis of the rumination disorder).
Avoidant/Restrictive food intake disorder – Characterized by dietary restrictions or refusal of food based on three reasons: a) Specific characteristics of the food (e.g. consistency, color); b) Little or no interest in food; c) Possible negative consequences of eating.
Anorexia nervosa – One of the essential features of anorexia nervosa is the occurrence of dietary restrictions or refusal of food in order to reduce significantly the intake of calories relative to needs; Refusal of food leads to a body weight below the established norms with respect to age, sex, developmental stage and physical health; The disorder is also characterized by excessive influence of weight and/or body shape on self-esteem levels and by extreme fear of gaining weight.
Bulimia nervosa – Characterized by the consumption of significant amounts of food in relatively short periods of time (i.e., binge eating), by compensatory behaviors following the episodes of binge eating (e.g., self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives and/or diuretics), and by excessive influence of weight and/or body shape on self-esteem levels; Both binge eating and compensatory behaviors must occur at least once a week for at least three months.
Binge-eating disorder – Characterized by the occurrence (at least once per week for three months) of eating episodes during which the individual consumes quantities of food that are significantly larger than those most people would eat in the similar period of time under similar circumstances. The individual also demonstrates a clear preference to isolate during binges to avoid embarrassment, as well as the tendency to self-loathing after the binge episode. The presence of episodes of binge eating must occur at least once a week for at least three months.
Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder, and Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder – These last two categories are adopted when the individual experiences significant distress or impairment in psychological, social, or occupational areas, but the full criteria for any of the other feeding and eating disorders are not met.

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is usually the first-line treatment for eating disorders. In my practice, I merge CBT underlining premises with Schema Therapy emphasis on behavioral patterns, emotional disturbances and coping mechanisms emerged in early childhood and developed through the years.

I can also support you when dealing with:

Feelings of sadness, meaninglessness and emptiness
Interpersonal difficulties
How and why to set boundaries
Frustrations and anger
Low self-esteem
Life crises

Claudia Carrara

English-speaking psychologist in Copenhagen

I offer psychological support and treatment in English in my office in Copenhagen

My background