ROPSO
Representation of Past Significant Others (ROPSO) is an ongoing research endeavor that explores the ways in which individuals continue to think about/represent internally past significant relationships. In 2022, a sample of 1897 individuals who have experienced a breakup with a significant other completed a survey with Likert-scale items and open-ended questions about this experience. We are currently in the process of analyzing the data.
ROPSO Members
Dr. Barry Farber
Barry A. Farber has been a member of the clinical psychology faculty at TC since 1979. He served as Director of Clinical Training (DCT) for nearly 25 years (1990-2011; 2014-2016) and is attempting to recover from that. When not teaching, writing, or editing, he hangs out with his lovely family (including 4 grandchildren), plays (mediocre) tennis, collects jokes and cartoons, reads contemporary fiction, and pretends to know the lyrics of every classic rock song published in the 1960s and 1970s.
Dr. David Roe
David Roe, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist, Professor at the Department of Community Mental Health, University of Haifa, Israel and affiliated Professor at Aalborg University, Denmark. His research focuses on psychiatric rehabilitation, psychotherapy research and processes and the evaluation of mental health treatment. His research has been funded by several sources, he has published extensively and serves as associate editor and editorial member on several journals. He's an avid lover of music and plays a little saxophone and piano.
Mossie Lierle
Mossie Lierle is a doctoral student in clinical psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her interests lie in understanding how the concept of unconditional positive regard can be better integrated into modern psychotherapies, as well as how culture may influence perception of positive regard. One of her primary goals is to learn how the therapeutic alliance can be strengthened so that individuals from all walks of life can lead more meaningful lives.
Shana Dickstein
Shana Dickstein is a student at Teachers College, Columbia University pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Her research interests lie in better understanding the processes and outcomes of dyadic interactions. One relationship that is of particular interest is that relationship between therapist and patient. Her goal in conducting this research and in studying to be a clinician is to help others achieve deep, meaningful, and enduring relationships.
Hilla Yaniv
Hilla Yaniv is a clinical social worker and a dynamic-psychotherapist. She works at a closed-acute ward in a psychiatric hospital. Her post-doctoral researchers, and her interests, focus in the field of severe mental disorders - treatment, rehabilitation and recovery. moreover, therapeutic processes and the understandings about the impact of close relationship on the person, as well as the power of creativity to assist in complex treatment processes. she likes to study in Jerusalem cafes houses - and to combine between therapeutic understandings and history, art and literature.
Luisa Garbowit
Luisa Garbowit is a first-year MA student in the Clinical Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. In addition to working on the Breakup Project, she is currently involved in researching effects of self-transcendence, along with client’s perceptions of therapist dishonesty. In her free time, you can find her backpacking, reading the Modern Love column, and drinking lots of caffeine-free tea.
Amber Wolfe is pursuing a master’s degree in clinical psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. Before relocating to New York, Amber worked as a reading and writing tutor for adults living with mental illness in Baltimore at a nonprofit organization called the B’More Clubhouse. Her passion for creative writing sparked her interest in psychology, as she believes that the stories we share have deep roots in our psyche. Amber’s other research interests include suicide prevention and addressing anxiety.
ROPSO Playlist on SoundCloud