Dr Cristina Cacciotti Saija is a registered clinical psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) College of Clinical Psychologists. Cristina completed her PhD at The University of Sydney examining social cognitive remediation for early psychosis in one of the first clinical trials of its kind internationally. Clinically, Cristina has worked in both private and government settings delivering individual and group based interventions to youth and adult populations. She works as a senior clinical psychologist and researcher at Headspace Central Sydney and the Brain and Mind Centre at The University of Sydney. Cristina is also a qualified and experienced school teacher in the NSW education system. She has broad experience teaching on postgraduate psychology programs and is registered as a primary supervisor with the Psychology Board of Australia (PBA). Clinical Expertise:
Cristina provides evidence-based psychological assessment and treatment for children, adolescents and adults targeting:
• Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms (obsessive compulsive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder with agoraphobia, post-traumatic stress disorder and specific phobias).
• Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and schizophreniform illness)
• Mood Disorders (bipolar disorder I and II, major depression and dysthymia)
• Social Cognitive Remediation for Early Onset and Chronic Psychotic Disorders
• Educational and Developmental Psychology (performance and study anxiety, perfectionism, autism spectrum disorder and behavioural problems). In the context of a supportive therapeutic relationship, Cristina incorporates the following evidence based treatments in her practice; Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness, Schema Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. Cristina is committed to working collaboratively with health professionals and family members involved in her clients’ care to ensure the best therapeutic outcomes. Research Interests:
Cristina’s research interest involves examining the cognitive, biological and behavioural mediators of functional outcome in social dysfunction disorders such as, schizophrenia spectrum illness, autism spectrum disorders and social anxiety disorder. She is also interested in developing and evaluating psychosocial treatment programs, specifically, social cognitive training aimed at enhancing social outcomes for individuals with social impairments. Key Publications:
Cacciotti-Saija, C., Langdon, R., Ward, P.B., Hickie, I.B., Guastella, A.J. Clinical symptoms predict concurrent social and global functioning in an early psychosis sample. doi: 10.1111/eip.1229. Guastella, A.J., Gray, K.M., Rinehart, N.J., Alvares, G.A., Tonge, B.J., Hickie, I.B., Keating, C.M., Cacciotti-Saija, C., Einfeld, S.L. The effects of a course of intranasal oxytocin on social behaviors in youth diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 56(4), 444-52. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12305. Cacciotti-Saija. R., Ward, P.B., Hickie, I.B., Scott, E.M., Naismith, S.L., Moore, L., Alvares, G.A., Redoblado Hodge, M.A., Guastella, A.J. A double-blind randomized controlled trial of oxytocin nasal spray and social cognition training for young people with early psychosis. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 41(2), 483-93. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbu094. Guastella, A.J., Hermens, D.F., Van Zwieten, A., Naismith, S.L., Lee, R.S., Cacciotti-Saija, C., Scott, E.M., Hickie, I.B. (2013). Social cognitive performance as a marker of positive psychotic symptoms in young people seeking help for mental health problems. Schizophrenia Research, 149(1-3), 77-82. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2013 .06.006.
