Maria Petridou

Μaria Petridou is a Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the Theological School of the Church of Cyprus. She previously obtained her BA in Psychology from the University of Cyprus, and then she continued her postgraduate studies in the Netherlands, where she gained an MSc in Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Psychology at Leiden University (Universiteit Leiden). Her major research interests include factors that contribute to the development of anxiety, antisocial behavior, and empathy during childhood, adulthood, and juvenile. She developed an alternative treatment protocol using Biofeedback methodology combined with video games for reducing anxiety and externalizing problems in young adulthood. Also, she teaches courses in psychology and counseling at the bachelor and post-graduate levels. She is currently involved in various European Projects in collaboration with the Prison Cyprus Department, aiming to enhance detainees’ skills and reduce stigma. She is a member of the European Association of Research on Adolescents (EARA) for young scholars and the Cyprus Psychology Association.

Studies:

B.A Degree in Psychology (University of Cyprus)

MSc in Clinical Psychology (Leiden University, Netherlands)

Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (University of Cyprus)

Research Interests:

Child and adolescents internalizing and externalizing problems, emotional processing/ regulation, HRV Biofeedback Intervention.

Design and Implementation of prevention and therapeutic programs for school violence youth delinquency reduction, as well as crime resistance for detainees.      

Selected Publications:

1. Petridou, M., Fanti, K.A., (under review). The effectiveness of HRV Biofeedback training with the video games on externalizing and internalizing problems. Journal of applied psychophysiology and biofeedback.
2. Fanti, K.A., Kyranides, M.M., Petridou, M., Demetriou, C.A., Konikkou., & Georgiou, G. (under review).Physiological reactivity to fear Moderates the Relation Between Parenting Distress and Antisocial Behaviors. Child Development.
3. Kyranides M.N., Petridou, M., Gokani, H.A. Him, S., & Fanti, K. A. (2022). Reading and reacting to faces, the effect of facial mimicry in improving facial emotion recognition in individuals with antisocial behavior and psychopathic traits. Current Psychology, 1-14.
4. Costeris, C., Petridou, M., & Ioannou, Y. (2021). Social Support and Appearance Satisfaction Can PredictChanges in the Psychopathology Levels of Patients with Acne, Psoriasis and Eczema, before Dermatologicaltreatment and in a Six-Month Follow-up Phase. Psych, 3(3), 259-268.
5. Costeris, C., Petridou, M., & Ioannou, Y. (2021). The critical role of body dysmorphic disorder in dermatological patients’ body image: patients’ desire to seek even more medical treatments increases after dermatological treatment. GLOBAL PSYCHIATRY, 4(1), 95-108.
6. Costeris, C., Petridou, M., & Ioannou, G., (2021). Factors that Predict Patients’ Satisfaction with Psychological Outcome and the Appearance of their skin after treatment. Journal of Clinical & Experimental Dermatology Research, 12(1), 1-9.
7. Fanti, K.A., Kyranides, M.N., Petridou, M., Demetriou, C.A, & Georgiou, G. (2018). Neurophysiological biomarkers associated with heterogeneity in Conduct Problems, Callous Unemotional Traits and Anxiety in children and young adults Special Issue in Developmental Psychopathology, 54(9), 1634-1649                              doi.org/10.1037/dev0000505.