Dr. Widmer is currently running her own private practice on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, which is located between Greece, Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. Named the Center For Psychological Well Being, her practice has been open for five years. It specializes in CBT Therapy and is a venue where fellow doctors also conduct therapy in a variety of languages, including English, French, German, and Greek.
She was born in French-speaking Switzerland, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Geneva. She then entered into the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Long Island University: CW Post, which provided her with an education that was in stark contrast to the classical Freudian theories she was taught in her undergraduate studies. While at CW Post, she was exposed to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and became interested in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). She completed an internship at Nassau University Medical Center and graduated in 1997.
After she earned her PsyD, Dr. Widmer moved back to Switzerland, where she worked as a Clinical Psychologist in the Geneva University Hospital’s outpatient DBT unit. During her time at the hospital, she also led DBT Intensive Trainings intended for the French speaking parts of Europe.
Having completed several years at the hospital, she moved to the United Arab Emirates, where she lived with her husband. Due to the region’s view of clinical psychology and the lack of available mental health professionals in the region to collaborate with, Dr. Widmer became an Assistant Professor at an Australian University’s Dubai campus. She began instructing students about international management behavior and cross-cultural issues in the business world.
She then moved back to Switzerland, but this time resided in the German-speaking area of the country. She worked in an inpatient unit in a private psychiatric clinic located on the shores of Lake Zurich. She also connected with the local DBT Association and started to deliver DBT trainings in German. In addition to her main position at the clinic, she worked part-time for the Spouse Career Centre, a consulting group that provides professional assistance to trailing spouses.
It has now been five years since Dr. Widmer relocated to Cyprus, where she hopes to one day start a DBT program. In the meantime, she continues to fly to other European countries to lead DBT trainings in German and French. She will, once again, be moving back to the United Arab Emirates this summer. Realizing that both Dubai and she have changed since she was last there, she is dreaming up ambitious new projects for her time spent there.