Dr. Sandra Gabler

Office Hours

Usually during the lecture period on Tuesdays, 2:00–3:00 p.m.; appointments outside these hours can be arranged by email.

Short CV

Since January 2009, Sandra Gabler has been a research associate at the Chair of Developmental Psychology and Educational Psychology at FAU. In 2013, she completed her doctorate on attachment development and psychosocial adjustment in foster children (DFG project; doctoral scholarship from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation). As a postdoctoral researcher, she continued to focus on growing up in contexts of risk and led projects on adolescents in out-of-home care and on families with psychologically burdened parents (DGSF research grants in 2017 and 2019).

A second key focus of her research is expanding the perspective from the individual to the family system, for example by including fathers and by examining social support systems or dyadic coping in stressful situations. Alongside her academic work, Sandra Gabler is active as a therapist. She is a systemic therapist/family therapist (DGSF) and a licensed psychological psychotherapist (CBT).

Publications in peer-reviewed journals

Gabler, S., Festini, J. *, Rodler, E. (in press). Jugendliche in Pflegefamilien und in leiblichen Familien: Ressourcen, Unterstützungsbedarfe und Bewältigungserfahrungen aus systemischer Perspektive. Kontext.

Gallistl, M., Handke, L., Kungl, M., Gabler, S., Croy, I., Vrtička, P., & Engert, V. (2025). Securely Stressed: Association between Attachment and Empathic Stress in Romantic Couples. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 32420. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13970-9

Gabler, S. & Festini, J.*, Herschmann, L., & Spangler G. (2025). Who am I? Identity Development and Mental Health Problems in Foster Adolescents. Developmental Child Welfare. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/25161032251324860

Gallistl, M., Kungl, M., Gabler, S., Kanske, P., Vrtička, P. & Engert, V. (2024). Attachment and inter-individual differences in empathic abilities. Attachment and Human Development, 26, 1-16. DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2024.2376762

Zimmermann, J., Kliewer-Neumann, J., Bovenschen, I., Lang, K., Gabler, S., Nowacki, K., & Spangler, G. (2024). Predictors of the prevalence and course of Reactive Attachment Disorder and Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder symptoms in foster children during the first year of placement. Child Abuse & Neglect, 154, 106872. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106872

Kungl, M. & Gabler, S.*, Vrtička, P. & Spangler, G. (2024). Precursors and effects of self-reported parental reflective functioning: Links to caregivers’ attachment representations and behavioral sensitivity. Child Psychiatry & Human Development. DOI: 10.1007/s10578-023-01654-2

Kliewer-Neumann, J. D., Zimmermann, J., Bovenschen, I., Gabler, S., Lang, K., & Spangler, G. (2023). Attachment Disorder Symptoms in Foster Children: Development and Associations with Attachment Security. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 17, 98. DOI: 10.1186/s13034-023-00636-5

Kungl, M. & Gabler, S.* & Spangler, G. (2023). Überblicksartikel: Die Bedeutung von Resilienz für die kindliche Entwicklung aus biopsychosozialer Perspektive. Psychologie in Erziehung und Unterricht, 70, 3-20. DOI: 10.2378/peu2023.art02d

Kramer, K., & Gabler, S. (2021). Ausgewählte entwicklungspsychologische Grundlagen für eine gelingende Teilhabe an einer digitalisierten Welt im Kindes- und Jugendalter. merz | medien + erziehung, 65(6). DOI: https://doi.org/10.21240/merz/2021.6.27

Heinisch, C. & Galeris, M., Gabler, S., Simen, S., Junge-Hoffmeister, J., Foessel, J. & Spangler, G. (2019). Mothers with postpartum psychiatric disorders: An adapted method to assess maternal sensitivity in interaction with the child. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, 471. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00471

Kungl, M., Gabler, S., Bovenschen, I., Lang, K., Zimmermann, J. & Spangler, G. (2019). On the nature of attachment in foster child-caregiver relationship: What can the construct of dependency tell us? Developmental Child Welfare, 1, 107-123. DOI: 10.1177/2516103219845374

Kliewer-Neumann, J. D., Zimmermann, J., Bovenschen, I., Gabler, S., Lang, K., Spangler, G., & Nowacki, K. (2018). Assessment of attachment disorder symptoms in foster children: comparing diagnostic assessment tools. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 12, 43. DOI: 10.1186/s13034-018-0250-3

Spangler, G., Bovenschen, I., Jorjadze, N., Zimmermann, J., Werner, A., Riedel, N., Gabler, S., Kliewer-Neumann, J. D. & Nowacki, K. (2018). Inhibited symptoms of attachment disorder in children from institutional and foster care samples. Attachment & Human Development, 21, 132-151. DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2018.1499210

Gabler, S., Kungl, M., Bovenschen, I., Lang, K., Zimmermann, J., Nowacki, K., Kliewer-Neumann, J. & Spangler, G. (2018). Predictors of foster parents’ stress and associations to sensitivity in the first year after placement. Child Abuse & Neglect, 79, 325-338. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.02.009

Zwönitzer, A., Ziegenhain, U., Bovenschen, I., Bressem, K., Pillhofer, M., Spangler, G., Gerlach, J., Gabler, S., Fegert, J. M. & Künster, A.K. (2016). Frühe Hilfen und kindliche kognitive Entwicklung: Eine längsschnittliche Pilotuntersuchung psychosozial belasteter Mutter-Kind-Paare in der frühen Kindheit. Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie, 65, 340-353. DOI: 10.13109/prkk.2016.65.5.340

Lang, K., Bovenschen, I., Gabler, S., Zimmermann, J., Nowacki, K., Kliewer-Neumann, J. & Spangler, G. (2016). Foster Children’s Attachment Security in the First Year After Placement: A Longitudinal Study of Predictors. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 36, 269-280. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2015.12.019

Zwönitzer, A., Ziegenhain, U., Bovenschen, I., Pillhofer, M., Spangler, G., Gerlach, J., Gabler, S., Kindler, H., Fegert, J. M. & Künster, A.K. (2015). Effects of early intervention in children at risk: Short-term and long-term findings from an attachment-based intervention program. Mental Health & Prevention, 3, 98-102. DOI: 10.1016/j.mhp.2015.07.004

Pillhofer, M.C., Spangler, G., Bovenschen, I., Künster, A. K., Gabler, S., Fallon, B., Fegert, J.M. & Ziegenhain, U. (2014). Pilot study of a program delivered within the regular service system in Germany: Effect of a short-term attachment-based intervention on maternal sensitivity in mothers at risk for child abuse and neglect. Child Abuse & Neglect, 42, 163-73. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.07.007

Gabler, S., Bovenschen, I., Lang, K., Zimmermann, J., Nowacki, K., Kliewer, J., & Spangler, G. (2014). Foster Children‘s Attachment Security and Behavior Problems in the First Six Months of Placement: Associations with Foster Parents’ Stress and Sensitivity. Attachment & Human Development, 16, 479-498. DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2014.911757

Bovenschen, I., Gabler, S., Pillhofer, M., Künster, A.K., Fegert, J.M., Ziegenhain, U. & Spangler, G. (2012). Videogestützte Beratung zur Beziehungsförderung bei jungen Müttern und ihren Säuglingen: Auswirkungen auf die mütterliche Feinfühligkeit. Psychologie in Erziehung und Unterricht, 59, 275-289. DOI: 10.2378/peu2012.art21d

Besier, T., Pillhofer, M., Botzenhart, S., Ziegenhain, U., Kindler, H., Spangler, G., Bovenschen, I., Gabler, S., & Künster, A.K. (2012). Child Abuse and Neglect: Screening for Risks During the Perinatal Period (Kindesmisshandlung und Vernachlässigung: Risiko-Screening in der Geburtshilfe). Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde, 72, 397-402. DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1298442