Yotam
Strifler

Yotam Strifler is a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev under the supervision of Prof. Gary Diamond.

Yotam’s research focuses on psychotherapy, specifically examining the ability to mentalize, which involves understanding and interpreting the mental states of others, including their thoughts, emotions, and intentions.

He investigates the association between mentalization and emotional arousal in therapy sessions, utilizing high-resolution in-session segments from recorded and live therapeutic interactions. The research design employs both laboratory and ecological procedures to ensure reliable testing and generalization, employing observational coding and psychological measures. The goal of Yotam’s work is to advance comprehension of factors that facilitate or hinder our ability to understand others and to enhance therapeutic theory and techniques for families dealing with relational ruptures.

Originally from Nahariya, Yotam currently lives in Tel Aviv with his wife, who is a clinical psychology intern. He also serves as a clinical psychology intern at Ben-Gurion University’s community clinic in Beer Sheva and volunteers at the Movement for Public Psychology in Israel. His involvement in a research project during his undergraduate studies at Ben-Gurion University ignited his passion for studying live videotaped therapy sessions. During his master’s degree in clinical psychology, also at Ben-Gurion University, he took the lead on a research project involving videotaped therapeutic sessions, further deepening his enthusiasm for this research. Yotam values the integration of being a researching clinician and engaging in theory, practice, and research aspects of psychotherapy. He also takes part in a randomized controlled clinical trial comparing different treatments for LGBTQ+ young adults. In his free time, Yotam enjoys reading, rock climbing, spending time with family and friends, and hiking in the Israeli desert.