About

Dr Shani Waidergoren

Clinical and Counselling Psychologist, PhD. Online worldwide.

Accreditations

• HCPC accredited (United Kingdom)
• Licensed clinical psychologist in Israel, registration 100419
• PhD in Psychology, Haifa University
• BA and MA in Psychology, both with Honours

Approach

My work begins with understanding what is actually presenting: not only the symptom, but the pattern underneath it, and the conditions that hold the pattern in place. I integrate psychodynamic work with cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). In practice this means we work both with the deeper meaning and with what is concretely changeable.

I take a holistic view: the whole person, not the diagnosis. Heinz Kohut described empathy as the cornerstone of the therapeutic relationship. That sentence has stayed with me. The work needs a safe, accepting space before it can do anything else.

Research background

I have over twenty years of psychological research experience, with expertise in human memory, attachment processes, and neuroscience. I am qualified in observational studies, quantitative methods, case studies, and fMRI analyses. Alongside clinical practice I consult with startups and technology companies on user experience and on employee mental health.

The human-tech interface

A particular focus of my work is the psychology of people who build and use technology for a living. I offer therapy to technology professionals experiencing burnout, stress, anxiety, and depression, and I advise tech companies on employee mental health and on product design from a psychological perspective.

Selected Publications

A selection of peer-reviewed work in human memory, attachment, and developmental neuroscience.

• Ulmer Yaniv, A., Salomon, R., Waidergoren, S., Shimon-Raz, O., Djalovski, A., & Feldman, R. (2021). Synchronous caregiving from birth to adulthood tunes humans' social brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 118(14).
• Ulmer-Yaniv, A., Waidergoren, S., Shaked, A., Salomon, R., & Feldman, R. (2022). Neural representation of the parent–child attachment from infancy to adulthood. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 17(7), 609–624.
• Li, A., Lei, X., Herdman, K., Waidergoren, S., & Gilboa, A. (2024). Impoverished details with preserved gist in remote and recent spatial memory following hippocampal and fornix lesions. Neuropsychologia.
• Waidergoren, S., Segalowicz, J., & Gilboa, A. (2012). Semantic memory recognition is supported by intrinsic recollection-like processes: "The butcher on the bus" revisited. Neuropsychologia, 50(13).

Full list available on Google Scholar.

Get in touch

The first step is an initial consultation so we can both see whether the work is a good fit. Contact me here or email shani.waidergoren@gmail.com.