Susan Simpson

Dr Susan Simpson

School of Society and Culture

College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences

Available For Media Comment.

Dr Susan Simpson is a clinical psychologist and and senior lecturer who has taught and supervised on the Master's training program for clinical psychology since 2010. She was Psychology Clinic director at the University of South Australia for 6 years between 2010 - 2016.  She has a strong interest and research background in the provision of psychological therapies via videoconferencing technologies. Susan is an Advanced Accredited Schema Therapy trainer with over 20 years of experience using Schema Therapy with complex cases and eating disorders. She has published preliminary research on group and individual Schema Therapy for complex eating disorders, and is part of an international research group which is currently carrying out further investigations in this field.  Susan is now director of Schema Therapy Training Scotland (the first ISST certified Schema Therapy training program based in Scotland) and Consultant Clinical Psychologist within the Regional Eating Disorders unit, NHS Scotland. Susan remains as Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of South Australia.

Schema therapy model, Remote and Rural Clinical Psychology; Tele-psychology, Eating Disorders, Personality disorders.

Year Citation
2025 Hepworth, N. S., & Simpson, S. G. (2025). 'When standard treatments are not enough' - showcasing schema therapy for the treatment of anorexia nervosa and borderline personality disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 81(8), 755-767.
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2025 Aloi, M., Rania, M., Carbone, E. A., de Filippis, R., D'Onofrio, E., Rotella, L., . . . Segura Garcia, C. (2025). Early maladaptive schemas as core therapeutic targets in eating disorders and obesity: a schema therapy-informed network Analysis. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 32(5, article no. e70153), 1-12.
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2025 Simpson, S., Rossi, A. A., Mannarini, S., Tait, D., Castelnuovo, G., & Pietrabissa, G. (2025). Assessing schema modes for eating disorders and their association with personality traits: validation of the English version of the short form of the schema modes inventory for eating disorders (EN-SMI-ED-SF). Journal Of Eating Disorders, 13(1, article no. 258), 1-18.
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2025 Seifi, F., Molazadeh, J., Aflakseir, A., Taghanaki, C. R., & Simpson, S. (2025). Parent-focused group schema coaching; CAREFREE (Carers Programme for Fluency in Resonance and Empowerment in Eating Disorders) intervention for parents of adolescents with anorexia nervosa: a multiple baseline design. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 32(5, article no. e70157), 1-21.
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2024 Joshua, P. R., Lewis, V., Simpson, S., Kelty, S. F., & Boer, D. P. (2024). What role do early life experiences play in eating disorders? the impact of parenting style, temperament and early maladaptive schemas. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 31(1), 1-14.
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2024 Rossi, A. A., Mannarini, S., Donini, L. M., Castelnuovo, G., Simpson, S., & Pietrabissa, G. (2024). Dieting, obsessive-compulsive thoughts, and orthorexia nervosa: Assessing the mediating role of worries about food through a structural equation model approach. Appetite, 193, 1-11.
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2023 Simpson, S. G., & Navot, L. (2023). Differentiating authentic versus pseudo vulnerability in therapeutic practice¹. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14(1200981), 1-17.
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2022 Simpson, S., Azam, F., Brown, S. M., Hronis, A., & Brockman, R. (2022). The impact of personality disorders and personality traits on psychotherapy treatment outcome of eating disorders: a systematic review. Personality and Mental Health, 16(3), 217-234.
DOI Scopus25 Europe PMC21
2022 Pietrabissa, G., Bertuzzi, V., Simpson, S., Guerrini Usubini, A., Cattivelli, R., Bertoli, S., . . . Molinari, E. (2022). Psychological aspects of treatment with intragastric balloon for management of obesity: a systematic review of the literature. Obesity Facts, 15(1), 1-18.
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2022 Smout, M. F., Simpson, S. G., Stacey, F., & Reid, C. (2022). The influence of maladaptive coping modes, resilience, and job demands on emotional exhaustion in psychologists. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 29(1), 260-273.
DOI Scopus11 WoS10 Europe PMC7
2021 Simpson, S., Richardson, L., Pietrabissa, G., Castelnuovo, G., & Reid, C. (2021). Videotherapy and therapeutic alliance in the age of COVID-19. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 28(2), 409-421.
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2020 Powell Jones, A., & Simpson, S. (2020). Drunkorexia: an investigation of symptomatology and early maladaptive schemas within a female, young adult Australian population. Australian Psychologist, 55(5), 559-571.
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2020 Pietrabissa, G., & Simpson, S. G. (2020). Psychological consequences of social isolation during COVID-19 outbreak. Frontiers in Psychology, 11(2201), 1-4.
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2020 Pietrabissa, G., Rossi, A., Simpson, S., Tagliagambe, A., Bertuzzi, V., Volpi, C., . . . Castelnuovo, G. (2020). Evaluation of the reliability and validity of the Italian version of the schema mode inventory for eating disorders: short form for adult with dysfunctional eating behavior. Eating and weight disorders, 25(3), 553-565.
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2019 Simionato, G., Simpson, S., & Reid, C. (2019). Burnout as an ethical issue in psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, 56(4), 470-482.
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2019 Simpson, S., Simionato, G., Smout, M., van Vreeswijk, M. F., Hayes, C., Sougleris, C., & Reid, C. (2019). Burnout amongst clinical and counselling psychologist: the role of early maladaptive schemas and coping modes as vulnerability factors. Clinical psychology & psychotherapy, online(1), 1-50.
DOI Scopus71 WoS61 Europe PMC23
2019 Cruzat Mandich, C., Díaz Castrillón, F., Pérez Villalobos, C. E., Lizana, P., Moore, C., Simpson, S., & Oda Montecinos, C. (2019). Factor structure and reliability of the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire in Chilean youth. Eating and weight disorders, 24(2), 339-350.
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2018 Calvert, F., Smith, E., Brockman, R., & Simpson, S. (2018). Group schema therapy for eating disorders: Study protocol. Journal of eating disorders, 6(1, article no. 1), 1-7.
DOI Scopus19 WoS13 Europe PMC7
2018 Simpson, S. G., Pietrabissa, G., Rossi, A., Seychell, T., Manzoni, G. M., Munro, C., . . . Castelnuovo, G. (2018). Factorial structure and preliminary validation of the schema mode inventory for eating disorders (SMI-ED). Frontiers In psychology, 9(600), 1-17.
DOI Scopus33 WoS24
2018 Richards, P., Simpson, S., Bastiampillai, T., Pietrabissa, G., & Castelnuovo, G. (2018). The impact of technology on therapeutic alliance and engagement in psychotherapy: the therapist's perspective. Clinical psychologist, 22(2), 171-181.
DOI Scopus41 WoS37
2018 Pietrabissa, G., Rossi, A., Gaudenzi, M., Bertuzzi, V., Tagliagambe, A., Volpi, C., . . . Simpson, S. (2018). Drunkorexia: empirical investigation and analysis of the characteristics of the phenomenon in an Italian sample of adolescents and young adults. Psychology, society and education, 10(3), 285-299.
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2018 Simionato, G. K., & Simpson, S. (2018). Personal risk factors associated with burnout among psychotherapists: a systematic review of the literature. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 74(9), 1431-1456.
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2018 Castelnuovo, G., Giusti, E. M., Manzoni, G. M., Saviola, D., Simpson, S., & Benedetti, F. (2018). What is the role of the placebo effect for pain relief in neurorehabilitation? Clinical implications from the Italian consensus conference on pain in neurorehabilitation. Frontiers in neurology, 9(May, article no. 310), 1-12.
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2017 Simpson, S. (2017). Schema therapy: current evidence and applications. Counselling in Scotland, (Autumn/Winter), 15-18.
2017 Cruzat Mandich, C., Díaz Castrillón, F., Escobar koch, T., & Simpson, S. (2017). From eating identity to authentic selfhood: Identity transformation in eating disorder sufferers following psychotherapy. Clinical psychologist, 21(3), 227-235.
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2017 Knight, A., Castelnuovo, G., Pietrabissa, G., Manzoni, G. M., & Simpson, S. (2017). Drunkorexia: an empirical investigation among Australian female university students. Australian psychologist, 52(6), 414-423.
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2017 Graves, T. A., Tabri, N., Thompson Brenner, H., Franko, D. L., Simpson, S., & Thomas, J. J. (2017). A meta-analysis of the relation between therapeutic alliance and treatment outcome in eating disorders. International journal of eating disorders, 50(4), 323-340.
DOI Scopus159 WoS145 Europe PMC113
2017 Kaeding, A., Sougleris, C., Reid, C., van Vreeswijk, M. F., Hayes, C., Dorrian, J., & Simpson, S. (2017). Professional burnout, early maladaptive schemas, and physical health in clinical and counselling psychology trainees. Journal of clinical psychology, 73(12), 1782-1796.
DOI Europe PMC17
2017 Pietrabissa, G., Sorgente, A., Rossi, A., Simpson, S., Riva, G., Manzoni, G. M., . . . Castelnuovo, G. (2017). Stages of change in obesity and weight management: factorial structure of the Italian version of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale. Eating and weight disorders, 22(2), 361-367.
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2017 Sorgente, A., Pietrabissa, G., Mauro Manzoni, G., Re, F., Simpson, S., Perona, S., . . . Castelnuovo, G. (2017). Web-based interventions for weight loss or weight loss maintenance in overweight and obese people: a systematic review of systematic reviews. Journal of medical internet research, 19(6, article no. e229), 1-16.
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2016 Hodge, L., & Simpson, S. (2016). Speaking the unspeakable: artistic expression in eating disorder research and schema therapy. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 50, 1-8.
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2016 Brunnbauer, L., Simpson, S., & Balfour, C. (2016). Exploration of client profile and clinical outcome in a university psychology clinic. Australian psychologist, 51(6), 442-452.
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2016 Castelnuovo, G., Giusti, E. M., Manzoni, G. M., Saviola, D., Simpson, S. G., & Tamburin, S. (2016). Psychological considerations in the assessment and treatment of pain in neurorehabilitation and psychological factors predictive of therapeutic response: Evidence and recommendations from the Italian consensus conference on pain in neurorehabilitation. Frontiers in psychology, 7(468), 1-12.
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2016 Castelnuovo, G., Giusti, E. M., Manzoni, G. M., Saviola, D., Simpson, S. G., & Tamburin, S. (2016). Psychological treatments and psychotherapies in the neurorehabilitation of pain: evidences and recommendations from the Italian consensus conference on pain in neurorehabilitation. Frontiers in psychology, 7(article no. 115), 1-17.
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2016 Brown, J. M., Selth, S., Stretton, A., & Simpson, S. (2016). Do dysfunctional coping modes mediate the relationship between perceived parenting style and disordered eating behaviours?. Journal of eating disorders, 4(27), 1-10.
DOI Scopus25 WoS22 Europe PMC15
2015 Richards, P. A. M., & Simpson, S. G. (2015). Beyond the therapeutic hour: an exploratory pilot study of using technology to enhance alliance and engagement within face-to-face psychotherapy. British journal of guidance and counselling, 43(1), 57-93.
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2015 Skewes, S. A., Samson, R. A., Simpson, S. G., & van Vreeswijk, M. (2015). Short-term group schema therapy for mixed personality disorders: a pilot study. FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY, 5(article no. 1592), 9 pages.
DOI WoS45 Europe PMC28
2015 Simpson, S. G., Skewes, S. A., Van Vreeswijk, M., & Samson, R. (2015). Commentary: short-term group schema therapy for mixed personality disorders: an introduction to the treatment protocol. Frontiers in Psychology, 6(article no. 609), 1-3.
DOI WoS5 Europe PMC2
2015 Richardson, L. K., & Simpson, S. (2015). The future of telemental health and psychology in Australia: restoring the psychologically 'Clever Country'?. Australian psychologist, 50(4), 307-310.
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2015 Simpson, S., Guerrini, L., & Rochford, S. (2015). Telepsychology in a university psychology clinic setting a pilot project. Australian psychologist, 50(4), 285-291.
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2015 Simpson, S., Richardson, L. K., & Pelling, N. (2015). Introduction to the special issue "Telepsychology: research and practice". Australian psychologist, 50(4), 249-251.
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2015 Castelnuovo, G., Pietrabissa, G., Manzoni, G. M., Corti, S., Ceccarini, M., Borrello, M., . . . Molinari, E. (2015). Chronic care management of globesity: promoting healthier lifestyles in traditional and mHealth based settings. Frontiers in Psychology, 6(article no. 1557), 1-6.
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2015 Talbot, D., Smith, E., Tomkins, A., Brockman, R., & Simpson, S. (2015). Schema modes in eating disorders compared to a community sample. Journal of Eating Disorders, 3(1), 4 pages.
DOI Scopus42 WoS32 Europe PMC20
2015 Castelnuovo, G., Mauri, G., Simpson, S., Colantonio, A., & Goss, S. (2015). New technologies for the management and rehabilitation of chronic diseases and conditions. BioMed research international, 2015(180436), 1-3.
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2014 Simpson, S. G., Rochford, S., Livingstone, A., English, S., & Austin, C. (2014). Tele-web psychology in rural South Australia: the logistics of setting up a remote university clinic staffed by clinical psychologists in training. Australian psychologist, 49(4), 193-199.
DOI Scopus15 WoS14
2014 Castelnuovo, G., Manzoni, G. M., Pietrabissa, G., Corti, S., Giusti, E. M., Molinari, E., & Simpson, S. (2014). Obesity and outpatient rehabilitation using mobile technologies: the potential mHealth approach. Frontiers in psychology, 5(559), 1-7.
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2014 Simpson, S., & Reid, C. (2014). Telepsychology in Australia: 2020 vision. Australian journal of rural health, 22(6), 306-309.
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2014 Simpson, S. G., & Reid, C. L. (2014). Therapeutic alliance in videoconferencing psychotherapy: a review. Australian journal of rural health, 22(6), 280-299.
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2014 Bradley, M., & Simpson, S. (2014). Inside the experience of recovering from anorexia nervosa: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of blogs. Counselling, psychotherapy, and health, 9(1), 1-34.
2011 Stewart, A. D., Klein, S., Young, J., Simpson, S., Lee, A. J., Harrild, K., . . . Benson, P. J. (2011). Body image, shape, and volumetric assessments using 3D whole body laser scanning and 2D digital photography in females with a diagnosed eating disorder: preliminary novel findings. British journal of psychology, 103(2), 183-202.
DOI Scopus26 Europe PMC9
2011 Masley, S. A., Gillanders, D. T., Simpson, S. G., & Taylor, M. A. (2011). A systematic review of the evidence base for schema therapy. Cognitive behaviour therapy, 41(3), 185-202.
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2011 Simpson, S. G., & Slowey, L. (2011). Video therapy for atypical eating disorder and obesity: a case study. Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health, 7(1), 38-43.
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2011 Castelnuovo, G., & Simpson, S. G. (2011). Ebesity - Ehealth for obesity - new technologies for the treatment of obesity in clinical psychology and medicine. Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health, 7(1), 5-7.
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2010 Simpson, S. G., Morrow, E., van, V. M., & Reid, C. (2010). Group schema therapy for eating disorders : a pilot study. Frontiers in psychology, 1(182), 1-10.
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Year Citation
2021 Simpson, S., Richardson, L., & Reid, C. (2021). Telemental health in rural and remote contexts. In T. A. Carey, & J. Gullifer (Eds.), Source details - Title: Handbook of Rural, Remote, and very Remote Mental Health (pp. 233-251). Singapore: Springer.
DOI
2020 Smith, E., & Simpson, S. (2020). Schema therapy for eating disorders: future directions. In S. Simpson, & E. Smith (Eds.), Source details - Title: Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders: Theory and Practice for Individual and Group Settings (pp. 277-280). US: Routledge.
DOI Scopus1
2020 Simpson, S. (2020). Schema therapy conceptualisation of eating disorders. In S. Simpson, & E. Smith (Eds.), Source details - Title: Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders: Theory and Practice for Individual and Group Settings (pp. 56-66). US: Routledge.
DOI
2020 Simpson, S. (2020). Manual of group schema therapy for eating disorders. In S. Simpson, & E. Smith (Eds.), Source details - Title: Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders: Theory and Practice for Individual and Group Settings (pp. 136-184). US: Routledge.
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2020 Smith, E., Simpson, S., & McIntosh, V. V. W. (2020). Introduction to schema therapy for eating disorders. In Source details - Title: Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders: Theory and Practice for Individual and Group Settings (pp. 3-11). US: Routledge.
DOI Scopus2
2020 Simpson, S., Hartmann, S., & Files, N. (2020). Review of the schema model and therapeutic application in eating disordered populations. In S. Simpson, & E. Smith (Eds.), Source details - Title: Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders: Theory and Practice for Individual and Group Settings (pp. 12-22). US: Routledge.
DOI Scopus2
2020 Simpson, S. (2020). Experiential mode work with eating disorders. In S. Simpson, & E. Smith (Eds.), Source details - Title: Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders: Theory and Practice for Individual and Group Settings (pp. 82-101). US: Routledge.
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2020 Archonti, C., Simpson, S., Castelnuovo, G., & Pietrabissa, G. (2020). Behavioural pattern breaking in schema therapy for eating disorders: learning from other evidence-based approaches. In S. Simpson, & E. Smith (Eds.), Source details - Title: Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders: Theory and Practice for Individual and Group Settings (pp. 121-135). US: Routledge.
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2018 Castelnuovo, G., Pietrabissa, G., Manzoni, G. M., Corti, S., Novelli, M., Borrello, M., . . . Simpson, S. (2018). A stepped care mhealth-based approach for promoting patient engagement in chronic care management of obesity with type 2 diabetes. In Source details - Title: Health care delivery and clinical science: concepts, methodologies, tools, and applications (pp. 1258-1275). US: IGI Global.
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2016 Castelnuovo, G., Pietrabissa, G., Manzoni, G. M., Corti, S., Novelli, M., Borrello, M., . . . Simpson, S. (2016). A Stepped Care mHealth-Based Approach for Promoting Patient Engagement in Chronic Care Management of Obesity with Type 2 Diabetes. In G. Graffigna (Ed.), Source details - Title: Transformative Healthcare Practice through Patient Engagement (pp. 192-214). US: IGI Global.
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2016 Simpson, S., Richardson, L., & Reid, C. (2016). Therapeutic alliance in videoconferencing-based psychotherapy. In S. Goss (Ed.), Source details - Title: Technology in Mental Health: Applications in Practice, Supervision and Training (2nd ed., pp. 99-116). US: Charles C Thomas.
2016 Simpson, S. (2016). Schema modes for eating disorders. In Source details - Title: Schematherapie bei Essstörungen (pp. 71-84). Weinheim, Germany: Beltz.
2016 Simpson, S. (2016). Experience-activating mode work in the treatment of eating disorders. In C. Archonti, E. Roediger, & M. Zwaan (Eds.), Source details - Title: Schematherapie bei Essstörungen (pp. 138-162). Germany: Beltz.
2016 Bond, S., Simpson, S. G., & Middleton, N. (2016). The schema therapy model for eating disorders - an overview. In C. Archonti, E. Roediger, & M. Zwaan (Eds.), Source details - Title: Schematherapie bei Essstörungen (pp. 59-69). Germany: Beltz.
2012 Simpson, S. (2012). Schema therapy for eating disorders: a case study illustration of the mode approach. In M. Vreeswijk, J. Broersen, & M. Nadort (Eds.), Source details - Title: The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Schema Therapy - theory, research and practice (pp. 145-171). Chichester, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.
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