Professor Jeanne C. Watson appointed as an honorary doctor
The Faculty of Psychology at the University of Bergen is pleased to announce the prestigious award of an honorary doctorate to Professor Jeanne C. Watson – a pioneer in the development of emotion-focused therapy.
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Professor Jeanne C. Watson is appointed as an honorary doctor for her internationally renowned work in humanistic-experiential psychotherapy, where she has been a pioneer contributing to the development of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). She is particularly known as a world-leading expert on the significance of empathy in psychotherapy.
Professor Watson has led groundbreaking research on emotion-focused therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for depression, contributing to identifying the processes that facilitate change in therapy. In her research, Watson has provided new insights into the therapeutic relationship, the working alliance, therapist empathy, emotional change, as well as the treatment of depression and generalized anxiety disorder. She is a co-author and co-editor of nine books, including "Emotion-Focused Therapy for Generalized Anxiety" (2017) and "The Responsive Psychotherapist" (2021).
Watson is involved in research collaborations with several faculty members at the Department of Clinical Psychology and GAMUT – Grieg Academy's Center for Music Therapy Research (Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design). In a time when division and polarization characterize many countries, and where more people are seeking help for mental disorders, Watson's research on empathy and psychological change processes is more relevant and timely than ever.