"Psychologists with a specialisation in childhood and adolescence are urgently needed" – Prof. Dr. Arnold on her motivation and career

After Prof. Dr. Sabine Arnold has been teaching at IB Hochschule since last autumn, she has now officially been appointed Professor of Applied Psychology. On the occasion of her appointment she gave us exciting insights into her career, her motivation and her vision for teaching in an interview.

Congratulations on your appointment! Frau Arnold, can you tell us about your professional qualification and career?

"Many thanks for the warm welcome! I am very pleased – and it is an honour for me – to take up the professorship for Applied Psychology at IB Hochschule Berlin. I am a doctorate-trained psychologist and licensed child and adolescent psychotherapist with my own practice in Berlin Friedenau. My profession is very close to my heart and I want to contribute to good psychotherapeutic care of young people with mental suffering – through research, practice and teaching."

Already in my youth I wanted to study psychology to better understand the thinking, feeling and acting of people – with the overarching goal of ultimately being able to help adequately and reduce mental suffering. I had the opportunity to do my Bachelor in Psychology at the University of Trier – I had a great study time then which I would not want to miss – and my Master of Science in Psychology at the University of Konstanz on beautiful Lake Constance.

During my Master's studies, I had the opportunity to do a research stay at the University of California, Davis, USA. I was active in clinical research there and conducted a project on mental suffering and suicidality against the background of minority stress and identity development. During this time, I gained specialist, personal and cultural experiences that enriched and shaped me lastingly.

After my psychology studies, I worked as a research associate in the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at the University of Tübingen. There I had the opportunity to research early perceptual processes in patients with eating disorders by means of EEG. Ten years ago Berlin called me, where I completed my postgraduate training as a child and adolescent psychotherapist at the Centre for Mental Health of FU Berlin. In parallel I did my doctorate at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin on self-injury, suicidality and eating disorders in adolescence. At Charité I was initially in the specialist consultation for eating disorders and later in research and teaching. A few years ago I set up in my own psychotherapeutic practice – and am now additionally at IB Hochschule, which I am very pleased about!

What inspires you most about your professorship at IB Hochschule?

"I am heart and soul – or perhaps better said: heart and mind – a psychologist and psychotherapist. It is a great and sincere concern for me to pass on my expertise to psychological young talent. As a child and adolescent psychotherapist, I am particularly happy to be able to teach the Clinical Child Psychology module. I want to pass on extensive specific psychological specialist knowledge to my students, combine complex theoretical knowledge with vocational skills, so that my students can learn with joy and ease and develop into competent experts."

Many thanks for the interesting insights and the conversation, Frau Arnold! Welcome again as Professor at IB Hochschule.