Gisela Priebe, professor of Psychology

Gisela Priebe was born in Germany and moved to Sweden after she had completed her studies in Psychology at Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität in Münster. She graduated from the Psychotherapist Programme, with a specialisation in Family Therapy, at Lund University in 1999. She worked as a qualified psychologist and psychotherapist for many years, before she finished her doctoral thesis in Child Psychiatry at Lund University in 2009. The subject of her thesis was young victims of sexual abuse. During 2011, Gisela Priebe worked as a postdoc at Crimes against Children Research Centre, University of New Hampshire, NH, USA. Since then, she has worked as a senior lecturer in Psychology at Linnaeus University between 2012-2014 and at Lund University since 2015.

In February of 2021, Gisela Priebe was hired by Karlstad University as a professor of Psychology, as well as the head of CBU, the Centre for Research on the Mental Health and Life Circumstances of Children and Youth.

- My research deals with mental health, violence and abuse, especially in children and youth, in a relational perspective. The participation of children in the research, and ethical questions in connection to this, is another interesting area. I also conduct research on children with parents who struggle with mental illness, and on sexual harassment in academia. I am interested in factors regarding risk and protection (epidemiology), prevention and intervention within these areas.

Gisela Priebe’s research is mainly focused on application and on creating a base of knowledge for working professionals within, for example, health care, social services or voluntary work, but also for executives and policymakers on various levels. The research is often conducted in close collaboration with these groups, as well as with representatives from education, medicine or law.

- Consequently, the multidisciplinary research environment at the Centre for Research on the Mental Health and Life Circumstances of Children and Youth, CBU, of which I am also the head, is a good fit. Our research is important, because it has the potential to make a difference and contribute to improved mental health in both children and their families.

Gisela Priebe enjoys doing research, despite the often heavy subjects. During the years, she has noticed a development within the research area, and that there is a large interest in her studies from both working professionals, policymakers and, to a certain extent, the public.

- I am active in a few research projects that involve supervision of doctoral students, and it is going to be exciting to follow their work. Last but not least, we are building a vital research environment at CBU and I very much look forward to our continued work on that.

When Gisela Priebe is not working, she enjoys watching the seasons change in her garden in Helsingborg. She also likes reading, art, movies and to travel. She is also very proud of her three sons, who have now grown into young adults.