Roberto Maluenda-Gatica
Contact details
Address
- Street
-
Doorway 6
Old Medical Building
Teviot Place - City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH8 9AG
- Street
-
117 Fowlers Walk
- City
- Post code
- W5 1BQ
Background
I am a clinical psychologist and researcher whose work focuses on socio-cognitive processes in human interaction, including mentalisation, social cognition, and metacognition, across both healthy populations and individuals living with severe mental illness. Broadly, I am interested in how people make sense of themselves and others, and how these processes shape engagement, emotional regulation, and outcomes in clinical and everyday relational contexts.
I completed a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at Andrés Bello University in Chile (2012), followed by four years of clinical work in the Acute Psychiatric Day Hospital in Quilpué. During this period, I provided outpatient interventions for people with complex and enduring mental health conditions and contributed to the implementation of Integrated Psychological Therapy (IPT). These experiences informed my long-standing interest in how interpersonal dynamics and cognitive–affective mechanisms support recovery and adaptation. In 2023, I further broadened my clinical expertise by completing a Diploma de Experto en Trastornos Afectivos (Expert Diploma in Affective Disorders) at the Universidad de Alcalá (Spain), enhancing my understanding of evidence-based approaches to mood and affective disorders in diverse cultural and clinical settings.
I earned my MSc in Psychiatric Research at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London (2017). In June 2025, I completed my PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh. My doctoral thesis, Exploring digital metacognitive therapy for bipolar disorder: effectiveness, therapist characteristics, and the therapeutic alliance in remote care, examined the relational and socio-cognitive mechanisms underpinning digital psychological interventions for severe mental illness. Using mixed-methods and longitudinal designs, my work investigated how therapist mentalisation, metacognitive change, and therapeutic alliance dynamics operate and interact in remote care.
Across my research, I explore how interactions, context, and cultural factors shape socio-emotional functioning and engagement, both in psychotherapy and in broader social environments. I am particularly interested in the mechanisms through which individuals interpret, regulate, and respond to others, and how these processes contribute to adaptive change. My aim is to advance psychological interventions that are scalable, culturally responsive, and sensitive to individual differences, while also deepening our understanding of the socio-cognitive foundations of human connection.
Qualifications
2025 – Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Clinical Psychology, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
2023 – Diploma de Experto en Trastornos Afectivos (Expert Diploma in Affective Disorders), Universidad de Alcalá, Spain.
2016–2017 – Master of Science (MSc) in Psychiatric Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, United Kingdom.
2014–2015 – Diploma (PGDip) in Mental Health for Public Health, School of Medicine, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile.
2010–2012 – Master in Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Nacional Andrés Bello, Chile.
2005–2010 – Bachelor of Arts (BA) (Hons) in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Nacional Andrés Bello, Chile.
2002–2005 – Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Education and Social Sciences, Universidad Nacional Andrés Bello, Chile.
Research summary
My research examines the socio-cognitive mechanisms that shape human interaction, with a focus on mentalisation, social cognition, and metacognition across clinical and non-clinical contexts. I am particularly interested in how individuals interpret and respond to others, and how these processes influence engagement, emotional regulation, and change within psychological interventions. My work integrates digital and traditional therapeutic settings, exploring how cognitive–affective and interpersonal mechanisms operate in remote environments and how they can inform scalable, person-centred approaches to mental health.