Dr. Thomas Blank

In my work with people from the Effective Altruism and Rationality community, some themes come up particularly often. You may recognize yourself in one of them:

• AI safety worries
• Perfectionism
• Depression, low self-worth, lack of meaning
• Anxiety disorders, especially social anxiety
• Suspected ADHD or autism, and living with either
• Relationship difficulties, especially around polyamory
• Doubt and stress about career choice, especially AI-related careers
• Difficulty building fulfilling connections with others

I have been involved in Effective Altruism since 2015 and led the Austrian Effective Altruism chapter for two years. I have organized several retreats, attended numerous conferences, and am familiar with the literature, the organizations, and the cause areas. So you won't have to start by explaining what cause prioritization, an 80,000 Hours career conversation, or AI safety concerns are.

Formal Education

• Postgraduate Program – Emergency Psychology
• Psychotherapist (Behavioral Therapy; AVM)
• PhD – Mental Health / Neuroscience (Medical University of Vienna)
• Master's – Psychology (University of Glasgow)
• Master's – Mathematics (University of Vienna)

Selected Publications

• Blank et al. (2022). Brain morphometry and connectivity differs between adolescent- and adult-onset major depressive disorder. Depression and Anxiety, 39, 1–10.
• Blank et al. (2021). Neurobiological predictors for clinical trajectories in fully remitted depressed patients. Depression and Anxiety, 38, 447–455.

Types of therapy and counseling:

• Longer-term psychotherapy
• Short-term counseling in acute personal crises
• Couples therapy

All sessions take place online over a secure video connection, so you can attend from anywhere.

We start with a free 15-minute introductory video call, in which we work out together whether and how I can help you with what you're bringing.