The Relationship Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Research Unit (ROCD-RU) at the School of Psychology at Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya specializes in the research and treatment of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and cognitions relating to close relationships including romantic, parent-child and individuals-God relationships.
Founded by Associate Professor Guy Doron in collaboration with Dr Danny Derby from the Israeli Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, our research program strives to enhance knowledge of the causes and consequences of this disabling condition in order to reduce misdiagnosis and improve existing evidence-based treatments.
Our research team includes Associate Professor Guy Doron, Dr Danny Derby, Dr Ohad Szepsenwol, Dr Dahlia Talmor, Elad Nahaloni and prominent international collaborators. At ROCD.net you can find research papers and research measures published by the ROCD-RU.
Our Research Team
Guy Doron is an Associate Professor at the New School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya. Dr Doron has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology that was completed magna cum laude and a BA(Hons) in Psychology completed with a High Distinction at the University of Melbourne, Australia. At the University of Melbourne, he has also completed a PhD and a Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology). Dr Doron has been actively researching Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related phenomena since the year 2000. His clinical experience includes working in hospitals, clinical research centers and as a private practitioner. These activities have led to an extensive knowledge and understanding of OCD, anxiety, depression and related phenomena as well as a growing number of publications in these areas. Dr Doron has recently received several prestigious research grants including the Marie Curie Reintegration Grant (4 years, 2007-2011) from the European Union, the Israel Science Foundation grant (ISF, 4 years, 2009-2013) and the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF; 4 years, 2010-2014, Co PIs: Saguy, T., & Dovidio, J.). Dr Doron is on the Board of Directors of the Midgam Project (Midgam.com) – Largest private Israeli self awareness internet website. Dr Doron is also one of the founding members of Niturix– an Israeli website designed to assist therapists in their clinical work (http://therapy-assessment.com/he/index.asp) and the co-developer of a mobile health application designed to improve mood (see iStore, Google Play).
Dr. Danny Derby is Clinical Psychologist and has a PhD in human sexuality. He is the founder and director of Cognetica — the Israeli Center For Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and a co-founder of The Israeli Center For Medical Psychology. Dr. Derby received his clinical training at the University of Hartford and his sexological training at the Institute For the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality. He trained with Prof. Patricia Resick at the Center For Trauma Recovery and co-authored with Prof. Resick the book “new horizons in the treatment of PTSD”. Dr Derby specializes in anxiety and OC spectrum disorders. Dr Derby worked as a clinician, lecturer, supervisor and a researcher at the Center For Treatment and Study of Traumatic Stress In The Community at Hadassah University Hospital. He also developed clinical services and hotline crisis interventions for the Israeli Aids Task Force. In recent years Dr. Derby devoted his time to research obsessive compulsive phenomena in relationships and to development of clinical interventions to relationship ocd and related phenomena. Today he is a member of the board of the Israeli Association for Cognitive and Behavioral therapy (ITA) and a member of the Clinical Psychology Committee, that is responsible for clinical training in psychology and consults the Israeli Ministry of Health.
Dr. Ohad Szepsenwol completed his BA in Psychology at Bar Ilan university, Israel, where he also completed his PhD on mating strategies. His fields of research include sexuality, attachment, and romantic relationships. He is an expert in methodology and statistical analysis. He is currently a lecturer at the School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya.
Dr. Dahlia Talmor completed her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology at Tel-Aviv University, Israel. At Bar-Ilan University, Israel, she completed her Master of Arts (MA) and PhD in Clinical Psychology with high honors. Her fields of research include Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and TMT (Terror Management Theory). She is currently a clinical psychology intern at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Centering (Ichilov), Israel, and a lecturer at the New School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya.
Mr. Elad Nahaloni is a Psychologist who works in Cognetica Center for Cognitive Behavioral Treatment. Mr. Nahaloni has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology that was completed with a High Distinction at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. At the Tel-Aviv-Yafo Academic College, he has also completed a Master of Psychology (Health Psychology). Mr. Nahaloni started working four years ago as a coach in the Israeli OCD center, and in Cognetica center in Tel Aviv. Today he works as a cognitive behavioral therapist in Cognetica center in Tel Aviv. Mr. Nahaloni has been working also as a research assistant in the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya. His clinical experience includes working in hospitals and in clinical research centers.
International Collaborators
Azi Atary is a Ph.D. candidate in General Psychology at a University in Mashhad, Iran. Her areas of research include quality of life, interpersonal relationships and the underlying dynamics in patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). She defended her Master’s thesis in Clinical Psychology with Honors in the field of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. She is currently a researcher and Clinical Psychologist involved in qualitative and quantitative research in the field of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Dr. Claudia Carraresi is a Clinical Psychologist and Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapist. Her fields of clinical practice include psychological assessment and psychotherapy of mood disorders, anxiety disorders and, in particular, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). She is also actively involved in research of obsessive compulsive disorder and related phenomena with publications about obsessive compulsive disorder and psychological assessment. Dr. Carraresi works at the Institute of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology and Psychotherapy of Florence (IPSICO) and she is member of the Italian Association for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (AIDOC) and of the Italian Society of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy (SITCC).
Professor David A. Clark from the Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, Canada was educated at the Institute of Psychiatry, London, England and trained at the Center for Cognitive Therapy, University of Pennsylvania, he has worked extensively with Dr. Aaron T. Beck, founder of cognitive therapy. His funded research on the cognitive basis of depression, obsessions and compulsions, as well as control of intrusive thoughts, appears in numerous journal articles and scholarly publications. He is author or co-author of several books including Cognitive Therapy for Anxiety Disorders; Science and Practice (2010, Guilford Press), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for OCD (2004, Guilford Press) and Scientific Foundations of Cognitive Theory and Therapy of Depression (1999, Wiley).
Dr. Gabriele Melli is a Clinical Psychologist and Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapist and Assistant Professor at the University of Pisa (Italy). His fields of clinical practice include psychological assessment and psychotherapy for personality disorders and anxiety disorders, in particular, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). He is President of the Italian Association for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (AIDOC) and of the Institute of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology and Psychotherapy of Florence (IPSICO). He is also actively involved in research of obsessive compulsive disorder and related phenomena with publications about obsessive compulsive disorder and psychological assessment.
Professor Mario Mikulincer is the Dean of the School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya. Since 1985, he has published more than 300 articles and book chapters, two authored books (Human learned helplessness, 1994; Attachment in adulthood, 2007), and three edited books (Dynamics of romantic love, 2006; Prosocial motives, emotions, and behavior, 2009; Human aggression and violence, 2010). Mikulincer was chosen as a “fellow” in the Society for Personality and Social Psychology and the Association for Psychological Science. In the last several years, he is a member of the editorial board for six leading journals in the field. Between 2003 and 2009, he acted as an associate editor for the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Between 2005 and 2009, he also acted as an associate editor for Personal Relationships. In 2010, he was elected as chief editor of the Journal of Social and personal Relationships for a period of 5 years.
Dr. Richard Moulding is an academic and clinical psychologist whose research interests include evidence-based conceptualisations of psychological dysfunction and an understanding of its etiology; along with evidence-based treatments and their dissemination in primary care. Dr Richard Moulding completed his PhD and Masters of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) at The University of Melbourne in March, 2007. Through his doctoral and later research and clinical work Dr Moulding has developed a sound research profile in the area of anxiety disorders and their treatment, including gaining a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant to examine online treatment for OCD through a randomised controlled trial. He is shortly to take a role as a Senior Lecturer at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.
Dr. Mujgan Inozu is an academic and clinical psychologist at Department of Psychology,Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. She completed her PhD and Masters of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) at the Middle East Technical University, 2011. Her funded research focuses on cognitive approaches to understanding unwanted intrusive thoughts, obsessions and compulsions, as well as cultural vulnerability factors in obsessions and compulsions. Dr. Mujgan Inozu studied with Dr. David A. Clark, University of New Brunswick, Canada, during her post-doctoral studies. She has published her research in a variety of peer-reviewed journals such Behavior Therapy, Journal of Behavioral Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Journal of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapy, and Behaviour Change. She has received awards for her several cross-cultural research projects, including the Academy of Sciences Fellowship Programme for Integrated Doctoral Studies in Turkey and/or Abroad in Social Science and Humanities, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, and the Academy of Sciences The Young Scientist Outstanding Achievement Award Programme (TUBA-GEBİP).