Dr Natalia Pliakou

Biography

Natalia Pliakou is a BPS Chartered Psychologist, an HPC registered Counselling Psychologist and a member of the Society for Neuroscience. She obtained her BA (Hons) in Psychology from the American College of Greece where she also specialised in Experimental Psychology and associative/non-associative learning phenomena. Subsequently, she obtained an MA (Highest Distinction) in Psychology & Behavioural Neuroscience from Boston College where she researched the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie maternal behaviour in rats. She then completed her PsychD Practitioner Doctorate in Psychotherapeutic & Counselling Psychology at the University of Surrey where she primarily researched the emotional possibilities between male therapists and female clients. Natalia has worked for psychological services in the public and private sector and is a bilingual practitioner working in English and Greek.

Research Interests

Natalia’s research interests include:

• Emotional possibilities and relational processes in therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapies: theory, process, outcome
• Father-daughter relationships and their effects on daughters’ psychosocial development
• Neuroscience and psychotherapy
• Maternal behaviour, or lack of, and implications for women.

Publications

Journal Articles

M. Numan, M.J. Numan, N.I. Pliakou, D.S. Stolzenberg, O.J. Mullins, J.M. Murphy, C.D. Smith (2005). The effects of D1 or D2 dopamine receptor antagonism in the medial preoptic area, ventral pallidum or nucleus accumbens in the maternal behavior of postpartum rats. Behavioral Neuroscience, 119, 1588-1604.

Society for Neuroscience Abstracts/Annual Meeting Publications

Time course of acutely induced sensitization of the c-start reflex in the goldfish (Carassius Auratus) (2004). N.I.Pliakou1; A.G.Thanellou1; P. Angelogianni2, M.M.Nikoletseas1* 1. Psychology, The American College of Greece, Athens, Greece; 2. Department of Experimental Physiology, University of Athens, School of Medicine, Athens, Greece

Peak CR latency (PCRL) in delay as a result of prior training in a trace paradigm in the branchial defensive reflex (BDR) in the goldfish (Carassius Auratus) (2003). N.I.Pliakou1; A.G.Thanellou1; A.Markou2*; M.M.Nikoletseas1 1. Psychology, The American College of Greece, Athens, Greece; 2. Neuropharmacology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, USA.

Acutely induced sensitization of the c-start reflex in the goldfish (Carassius Auratus) (2003). M.M.Nikoletseas1*, N.I.Pliakou1; A.G.Thanellou1; E.C.Nanou1; A.G.Kyriakatos1 1.Psychology, The American College of Greece, Athens, Greece

Spontaneous recovery of the c-start reflex as indexed by onset latency in the goldfish (Carassius Auratus) (2003). A.G.Thanellou1; N.I.Pliakou1; A.Mitsakos2*; M.M.Nikoletseas1 1. Psychology, The American College of Greece, Athens, Greece; 2. Department of Physiology, University of Patras, School of Medicine, Patras,Greece

Teaching

Natalia teaches the Theoretical Models of Therapy course in Year 3, which focuses on Cognitive and Behavioural Models of therapy.

She is the convenor for this course.

Affiliations

British Psychological Society, Division of Counselling Psychology

Health Professions Council

Society for Neuroscience

Presentations at Conferences

Pliakou, N. (2009). Male therapist-female client dyad: Emotional possibilities and relational processes in therapy. Paper presentation in annual conference of the BPS Division of Counselling Psychology, Warwick, July 9-11.

Pliakou, N. (2008). Female clients’ feelings towards their male therapist and their processing in therapy. Poster presentation in Joint Conference of the Divisions of Counselling Psychology (BPS & Ireland), Dublin, June 20-21.

M. Numan, D.S. Stolzenberg, N.I. Pliakou, C.D. Smith, O.J. Mullins, J.M. Murphy, M.J. Numan (2005). The effects of D1 or D2 dopamine receptor antagonism in the medial preoptic area, ventral pallidum or nucleus accumbens on the maternal behavior of postpartum rats. 35th Annual Meeting for the Society for Neuroscience, Washington D.C., November 12-16.

N.I.Pliakou; A.G.Thanellou; P. Angelogianni; M.M.Nikoletseas (2004). Time course of acutely induced sensitization of the c-start reflex in the goldfish (carassius auratus). 34th Annual Meeting for the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA, October 23-27.