Institute for Psychosomatics

Our institute is dedicated to the research of disease patterns and therapy options in psyche-soma interactions. On the one hand, this includes the comprehensive teaching of classical psychosomatics where physical symptoms are investigated as being psychologically causative (somatoform diseases – physical symptoms that cannot be proven by somatic findings, such as idiopathic skin diseases or functional disorders).

Furthermore, we deal with the crucial area of psychological effects of physical diseases and possibilities of psychotherapeutic interventions. Our research and teaching activities focus on psychooncology, psychocardiology and the psychological perspective of transplant patients.

Heads: Univ. Prof. Dr. Jutta Fiegl / Assoz. Prof. Dr. Kathrin Mörtl, e-mail

Team

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jutta Fiegl – Head, Psychooncology, Psychosomatics in Gynaecology and Obstetrics; Systemic Family Therapist
Assoz.-Prof. Dr. Kathrin Mörtl – Head, Psychosomatic Concepts, Psychoanalysis
Waltraud Wiesinger, BA – Congenital Heart Defects, Research Award, Systemic Family Therapist – Constituent Honorary Member
Dr. Raphael Oberhuber – Paediatric Cardiology, Clinical Psychologist at the Children’s Heart Centre Linz
Branka Milic – Congenital heart defects, psychoanalysis
Birgitta Schiller, Mag.pth. – Psychosomatic concepts, individual psychology
Manuel Fürholzer, BA – Rare diseases, individual psychology

Academic Activities

Workshops
Students of psychotherapy science have started a reading circle on psychosomatics, which we support.
Contact: kathrin.moertl@sfu.ac.at

Teaching & Training
Our staff members regularly teach in our study programme. A selection of courses in which you can learn about our research methods and projects:
– Forms of intervention in physical illnesses (in German and English): Univ. Prof. Dr. Fiegl, Assoz. Prof. Dr. Mörtl, Mag. Pritz, Dr. Oberhuber, Mag. Milic, Ms. Wiesinger, BA (constituent honorary member)
– Psychosomatics (in English): Assoz. Prof. Dr. Mörtl, kathrin.moertl@sfu.ac.at

Supervision of theses
Our staff members are happy to supervise theses in our research spectrum. There is also the possibility to cooperate with one of our staff members and to work on a given topic.
Contact: kathrin.moertl@sfu.ac.at

Selected Research Projects

Stress on medical staff during the CoVid-19 pandemic
Body anamnesis questionnaire. Implementation of a screening at the psychotherapeutic university outpatient clinic of Sigmund Freud University
KörperLOS – A qualitative study on the role of the body in digital psychotherapeutic treatment
Body Focus Groups – Psychosomatic attitudes and competence of health workers in training on the subject of body & mental health
Tako-Tsubo Syndrome: stress-induced cardiomyopathy in Austria

Contact: birgitta.schiller@sfu.ac.at