Anett Szabó-Bartha

Anett Szabó-Bartha is an Associate Professor at the Department of Personality and Health Psychology within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Gáspár Károli Reformed University. She holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Debrecen (2007) and has extensive clinical qualifications including Clinical and Mental Health Psychologist (2005) and Family Therapist (2008).

Dr. Szabó-Bartha completed her MA in Psychology at the University of Debrecen in 2001 and defended her doctoral dissertation on "The study of illness representation among individuals with various chronic illnesses and their spouses." Her academic journey includes teaching positions at both the University of Debrecen and her current institution, where she has progressively taken on leadership roles including Head of the Clinical Department at the Institute of Psychology since 2025.

Her primary research interests focus on couple and family therapy, health psychology, and clinical psychology, with particular emphasis on schema therapy, acceptance-based approaches, and relationship dynamics. Dr. Szabó-Bartha has developed expertise in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and has contributed significantly to the validation of psychological assessment tools in Hungarian contexts. Her work often explores how cognitive schemas influence partner selection and relationship patterns, as evidenced by her 2024 monograph "Sémakémia" (Schema Chemistry).

Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on psychological measurement, with numerous validation studies of assessment instruments related to fear of happiness, fear of empathy, thought suppression, and self-criticism. She has also conducted important research on therapeutic relationships in online versus in-person settings, particularly relevant during the pandemic period.

Dr. Szabó-Bartha has received significant recognition for her work, including the Publication of the Year Award from Gáspár Károli Reformed University in both 2017 and 2022, as well as the 1st prize in the poster section from the Hungarian Psychological Society in 2019. These awards reflect the quality and impact of her contributions to psychological science in Hungary.

As an active member of the Hungarian Family Therapy Association and Hungarian Psychological Society, she contributes to the broader academic community through conference presentations, editorial work, and leadership roles. Her academic service includes mentoring students, serving as Deputy Head and later Head of the Psychology Workshop at the Benda Kálmán College (2013-2022), and currently leading the Clinical Department at the Institute of Psychology.

Dr. Szabó-Bartha maintains an active research program with strong clinical applications, bridging theory and practice in psychological assessment and therapy. Her work on schema therapy and relationship dynamics continues to influence both academic discourse and clinical practice in Hungary.