Research

Research & Academic Work

The research is grounded in clinical psychology and psychopathology, with a close articulation between clinical practice, field research and the analysis of the contexts in which the situations studied unfold.

It focuses in particular on the ways psychological distress is expressed and embedded within different relational, family, institutional and cultural contexts, as well as on the forms of psychological care that may be developed within them.

A significant part of this research is conducted in Cambodia, particularly with children and families, with specific attention to situations of vulnerability, traumatic experiences, representations of mental health and the adaptation of care practices to cultural and social contexts.

The research primarily draws on qualitative and clinical methodologies, including interviews, field observation, case studies, focus groups, thematic analysis and action research.

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For research collaboration, academic projects, teaching, training or professional exchange related to these areas, you can contact me directly.

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alicia.landbeck@univ-fcomte.fr

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Research Areas

Child Clinical Psychology, Early Trauma & Therapeutic Processes

A first research area examines the psychological effects of early traumatic experiences, affective and relational deprivation, disruptions in relational bonds and situations of maltreatment in childhood.

This work notably explores the conditions that may enable a therapeutic process to develop when certain experiences remain difficult to access through words.

Particular attention is given to therapeutic mediations, processes of symbolisation, containment functions and the ways in which the therapeutic setting can be adjusted to the child’s needs and capacities.

This research area notably emerged from doctoral research conducted with children in Cambodia.

Family Dynamics, Vulnerability & Child Mental Health

A second research area focuses on family dynamics associated with children’s psychological, behavioural or developmental difficulties.

The research explores how families understand their child’s difficulties, the resources they mobilise, their needs, and the relational or organisational changes these situations may generate within the family.

Particular attention is given to families facing significant socioeconomic hardship or vulnerability, as well as to the role of the social, educational and institutional environment in supporting the child.

The PENADO-KH and FOCUS-FAMILLE projects primarily fall within this research area.

Culture, Diagnosis & Mental Health Care in Cambodia

A third research area examines the encounter between diagnostic categories used in psychiatry and psychology and the different representations of psychological distress found within the Cambodian context.

Research conducted in Cambodia focuses in particular on the words used to describe psychological difficulties, family representations, cultural resources and the ways in which a diagnosis may be understood and appropriated, while sometimes coming into tension with other explanatory systems.

This work contributes to broader reflection on the cultural relevance of assessment, psychological support and mental-health care practices.

More broadly, it examines how clinical approaches can be adapted to the contexts in which they are implemented without reducing the singularity of a situation to a diagnostic category.

Clinical Practices, Therapeutic Settings & Institutional Contexts

A fourth research area examines how psychological practices and therapeutic settings are shaped within particular institutional contexts.

This work focuses on the clinical setting, the psychologist’s role, institutional constraints, relationships with teams and the adjustments required when clinical practice takes place in complex environments.

Research conducted within D-PSYREA on psychologists working in intensive care forms part of this area, alongside work on the development and evaluation of therapeutic settings in intercultural and humanitarian contexts.

Current & Recent Research

PENADO-KH

Relational and organisational dynamics of families facing significant vulnerability

PENADO-KH is an exploratory research project conducted in Cambodia with families facing significant socioeconomic hardship whose children present psychological difficulties.

The project seeks to understand how children’s difficulties are embedded within family organisation, relationships between family members and the social constraints faced by the family.

The research combines family follow-up, clinical interviews conducted in the home, field observation and in-depth qualitative analysis.

Beyond describing the difficulties encountered, the project examines the resources mobilised by families and the ways in which they understand and make sense of the child’s psychological manifestations.

Primary research area: Family Dynamics, Vulnerability & Child Mental Health

FOCUS-FAMILLE

Family representations, resources and needs in relation to children’s psychological and developmental difficulties

FOCUS-FAMILLE explores how parents in Cambodia understand and name their child’s psychological, behavioural or developmental difficulties.

Through focus groups conducted with families, the project examines parental representations, the resources mobilised, expressed needs and the different ways of understanding the difficulties experienced by the child.

Particular attention is given to diagnosis and its cultural relevance: what does receiving a diagnosis mean within the Cambodian context? How does it intersect with family, social and cultural representations of the child and their difficulties?

The project aims in particular to contribute to recommendations that are better adapted to families’ needs and to the local context.

Primary research areas: Family Dynamics, Vulnerability & Child Mental Health • Culture, Diagnosis & Mental Health Care in Cambodia

D-PSYREA

Psychological practice in intensive care

Research conducted within D-PSYREA focuses on the practice of psychologists working in medical and surgical intensive-care units in France.

It examines the psychologist’s role in an environment characterised by medical emergencies, critical situations, encounters with death and continuous interactions with patients, relatives and healthcare teams.

Alicia Landbeck contributes in particular to qualitative data analysis and to the development of recommendations concerning psychological practice in intensive care.

Primary research area: Clinical Practices, Therapeutic Settings & Institutional Contexts

Doctoral Research

Therapeutic intervention with children facing early trauma in Cambodia

The doctoral research focused on the development and evaluation of a therapeutic intervention for children facing early traumatic experiences, affective and relational deprivation and situations of maltreatment in Cambodia.

The work notably examined possibilities for symbolising early traumatic experiences and the ways in which therapeutic mediations, particularly storytelling and drawing, may support the therapeutic process.

The research also addressed containment functions, psychic envelopes, intersubjective processes and the adjustments required within the therapeutic setting in an intercultural context.

The Cambodian fieldwork led to particular attention being paid to cultural representations of psychological distress and the ways these may participate in processes of psychological elaboration.

Primary research areas: Child Clinical Psychology, Early Trauma & Therapeutic Processes • Culture, Diagnosis & Mental Health Care in Cambodia

A Clinical & Field-Based Research Approach

The research approach is developed as closely as possible to clinical situations and to the contexts in which they take place.

The research notably draws on:

clinical research interviews
field observation
case studies
focus groups
thematic and content analysis
action research

Particular attention is given to the conditions in which knowledge is produced, ethical considerations, the researcher’s position in the field and collaboration with professionals, families and local partners.

Academic Affiliations

Psy-DREPI
Psychology Laboratory UR3188 — Université Marie et Louis Pasteur, Besançon
National University of Battambang (NUBB) — Cambodia

Teaching & Academic Activities

Academic activity also includes university teaching experience in psychology in France and Cambodia.

Teaching has been delivered from undergraduate to Master’s level as well as within postgraduate programmes, particularly in clinical psychology, psychopathology, child and adolescent clinical psychology, research methodology and clinical supervision.

University teaching has notably included:

Clinical Psychology & Psychopathology
Child, Adolescent & Adult Psychopathology
Child & Adolescent Clinical Psychology
Research Methodology in Psychology
Epistemology & Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods
Clinical Case Study Methodology
Early Psychological Development & Relational Processes
Psychological Trauma & Grief
Therapeutic Mediations
Family Clinical Psychology
Intercultural Approaches to Psychological Care
Clinical Supervision & Reflective Practice
Research Ethics & Academic Methodology

In France, teaching has notably been delivered at undergraduate and Master’s level in Besançon in clinical psychology, psychopathology and research methodology.

Teaching has also been provided at the National University of Battambang (NUBB) in Cambodia.

At NUBB, this has notably included psychology terminology and concepts, with work on the translation and discussion of concepts from clinical and social psychology in relation to the Khmer language and local cultural representations.

Academic teaching also includes postgraduate contributions to the University Diploma in Psychotrauma and Care Settings, particularly on early relational trauma, childhood psychotrauma, international and intercultural contexts, therapeutic mediations, interpreting and psychological care settings.

In addition to university teaching, training sessions and workshops have been delivered to professionals working in social, clinical and community contexts, particularly around child development, family clinical practice, psychological trauma, intercultural issues and work with vulnerable populations.

Contact for Teaching & Academic Collaboration

Scientific & Professional Collaborations

Collaborations may involve research, teaching, training or work on mental-health care settings and practices, particularly in the fields of clinical psychology, childhood and family, psychological trauma and intercultural approaches.

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