Three Leading Global Experts in Psychology at the Departmen of Psychology Symposioun

A symposium organised by the Department of Psychology at Reykjavík University was held on May 12 to mark ten years since the first students graduated from the university’s MSc programme in Clinical Psychology.

Three world-leading experts in psychology gave presentations alongside former programme director Dr Jón Friðrik Sigurðsson and the current director, Linda Bára Lýðsdóttir.

Brynja Björk Magnúsdóttir, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, opened the symposium. In her remarks, she said that the launch of psychology studies at Reykjavík University had been an important milestone for both the university and the field of psychology in Iceland. She emphasised the extensive work that had gone into ensuring the programme's quality through collaboration with Icelandic and international experts who contributed to its development. She also introduced the day’s guests, all of whom have played major roles in research on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

Encourage students to support each other

Jón Friðrik Sigurðsson, professor of psychology, received Reykjavík University’s 2025 Research Award for his decades-long, ambitious, and influential research career. He played a key role in shaping and building the master’s program in psychology at RU, with a strong emphasis on scientific knowledge and literacy.
In his talk, Jón Friðrik said that since the School of Psychology at RU was founded in 2009, it had grown year by year and quickly established itself within the profession in Iceland.

At first, we weren’t sure whether anyone would even apply, but it turned out otherwise, and in the very first year, we received 100 applications for the master’s program. Initially, the faculty consisted largely of part-time instructors. We required them to be specialised, passionate, and active researchers. From the beginning, I have emphasised to my students that they should view the program as a single whole. Many people don’t like statistics or methodology, but these are part of the bigger picture and matter.

Jón Friðrik added that he was very pleased that 215 students had now graduated from the master’s programme, adding;

From the beginning, we have encouraged students in each cohort to stay connected, both during their studies and after graduation — to support and encourage one another when challenges arise. We now need to remain open to change and find ways to make the student body more diverse, in line with societal changes. We also need to increase opportunities for clinical training, and a clinic will be opened within the department this autumn.”

Dr. David Clark

David Clark is Professor Emeritus of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford and one of the world’s most influential psychologists in the field of cognitive behavioural therapy. He has developed influential cognitive models and evidence-based treatments that have been adopted in clinical guidelines and used widely. His research has had a major impact on the understanding and treatment of anxiety and trauma-related disorders, including social anxiety disorder, PTSD, and health anxiety.

Dr Clark also played a key role in developing the UK’s IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) system, which aims to improve public access to evidence-based psychological treatment.

His presentation was titled “The Origins and Development of IAPT: Adapting Across Countries,” in which he discussed the establishment in 2004 of NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), created to advise the British government on mental health matters. At the time, access to mental health services in the UK was very limited, but significant progress has since been made, with new methods emerging and older ones being revived and validated.

One thing we did, which was considered radical at the time, was to publicly publish information on the outcomes of each psychological services team. This made it possible to compare services, learn from others, and improve what needed improvement. This was absolutely crucial to the service's successful development. Today, 670,000 people use the service annually, and it has become an inspiration for governments in other countries.

Says David, emphasising that providing the right services is important, but organisation also matters, such as keeping waiting times short. NICE has developed and published evidence-based guidelines for health and social services, particularly focusing on cognitive behavioural therapy, depression, and anxiety.

It is very costly for societies not to address people’s anxiety and depression. Generally speaking, people prefer therapy and gaining knowledge to deal with their problems rather than only receiving medication. As we convinced policymakers from the beginning, our methods make people feel better, and data show that they are cost-effective for healthcare systems in many ways.

He said.

Steven Hollon

Steven D. Hollon is the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Psychology at Vanderbilt University. His presentation was titled “Adapting Treatment Options for More Complex Cases: Next Steps When Clients Do Not Respond to Treatment.”

Dr Hollon is one of the world’s leading scholars in depression research and evidence-based psychotherapy. His work has focused especially on the treatment and prevention of depression, including comparisons between cognitive therapy and medication. He is particularly well known for research into the long-term effects of cognitive therapy and whether it can reduce the likelihood of relapse after active treatment ends.

Dr Hollon worked closely with Aaron T. Beck, the founder of cognitive therapy, and has published numerous influential peer-reviewed articles that have significantly shaped the development and evaluation of evidence-based treatments for depression.

Paul Salkovskis

Paul Salkovskis, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford, delivered a presentation titled “How to Prepare Psychology Students for Clinical Treatment Services in the Near Future.”

Dr Salkovskis is one of the leading scholars in the field of cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders. His research has focused particularly on obsessive-compulsive disorder, health anxiety, panic disorder, and agoraphobia. He has developed influential cognitive models explaining how threat misinterpretation, inflated responsibility, and safety behaviours can maintain anxiety and compulsive behaviour.

He has also played an important role in the clinical training of psychologists, the development of specialised treatment units within the NHS, and the dissemination of evidence-based psychological therapies. Among other positions, he serves as director of the Oxford Centre for Psychological Health, the Oxford Institute of Clinical Psychology Training and Research, and the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre.