The Institute’s Founders

Eshkol is a professor in the clinical psychology program at Bar-Ilan University, and one of the founders of the Israeli Institute of Schema Therapy. After completing his BA at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, he went on to obtain a PhD in clinical and personality psychology at Northwestern University, outside Chicago, where his training focused on cognitive-behavioral approaches. After a year as a clinical intern at McLean Hospital and a fellow at the Harvard Medical School, he moved to New York City, where he completed a 2-year post-doc in the social psychology program at NYU, while receiving training at the Minuchin Center for the Family in family systems therapy. In 2003, Eshkol joined the faculty of Barnard College, Columbia University. During his years in NYC, he also joined the Schema Therapy Institute, directed by Dr. Jeffrey Young, where he served as a therapist and supervisor. Since moving back to Israel in 2009, Eshkol founded and continues to direct the Affect and Relationships Laboratory in the Psychology Dept. and Gonda Neuroscience Center at Bar-Ilan University. His lab explores basic affective and relational processes among individuals with anxiety or personality disorders, as well as dyadic processes in couples. It is also involved in psychotherapy process and outcome studies. Together with David Bernstein and Jeffrey Young, Eshkol authored of the 2010 Routledge book, “Schema Therapy: Distinctive Features”.