Richelle Schaefer works as a clinical psychologist at the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) in the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy in Mannheim, Germany. Richelle completed her Bachelor of Arts (major Psychology, minor Criminology) with honors at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, Canada and then went on to complete her Master of Arts in Criminology at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada. Following her MA, she moved to London, England and completed her Master of Science in Forensic Clincal Psychology at King's College London. Richelle’s work in London with patients mainly focused on reducing their risk for future offending based on the Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) model by Marsha Linehan. After her training in London, Richelle moved to Mannheim, Germany to carry on with her schooling as as clinical psychologist. She is currently finishing her practical degree as a psychological psychotherapist (equvilant to a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in North America). Next year Richelle plans on starting a PhD in Psychology. As part of her position as a clinical psychologist at the CIMH, Richelle holds lectures once of month for medical students. The topics include the explanation of varies psychological disorders (e.g., personality disorders, eating disorders, depression, anxiety disorder, etc.).

Richelle’s research interests vary but have mainly focused on the risk of reoffending in adolescents, as well as how stable psychopathic traits are in adolescence into young adulthood. Richelle’s work for her MA focused specifically on the four factors of psychopathy and how they relate to attachment dimensions, as well as how conduct disorder onset plays a moderating role in the relationship between attachment and psychopathy. For her MSc, she focused more generally on psychological disorders and how they relate to inward and outward aggression, while taking important covariates into account (victimisation, alcohol disorders, racial background, and stigmitisation). Her current interests still involve anti-social characteristics in adolescents and their relationship to emotional instability (i.e., borderline personality disorder). Richelle has presented her research at over 10 international conferences, as well as having two publications.