About the therapist
My name is Jelena Spasić, and I am a psychologist with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, a RE&CBT psychotherapist with a national psychotherapy certification, and a DBT therapist in training. I completed my undergraduate and Master’s studies, specializing in Clinical Psychology, at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade. I completed a one-year professional training program at the Institute of Mental Health in Belgrade, where I gained experience in psychological assessment and psychodiagnostics of various psychopathological and psychiatric conditions and phenomena. I am a member of the Serbian Psychological Association.
During my studies, I gained experience through volunteering in an online counseling service for young people and in an organization providing support to victims of violence, as well as through professional internships at the Institute of Mental Health in Belgrade and the Lekart Educational Center. I developed my practical skills through numerous trainings, including training in the application of mindfulness-based approaches, and I integratively incorporate ACT and CFT into my work. I also have experience in group therapeutic work. I gained significant experience and knowledge through training at the Men’s Crisis Center, where, together with colleagues, I formulated and implemented projects of primary prevention of intimate partner violence among young people. Additional practical skills were developed through my role as a responsible coordinator of the EFPSA campaign “Better Together,” within which I created interactive workshops, mentored, coordinated, and provided support to psychology students across Europe, with the aim of fostering empathy and reducing discrimination among young people.
My approach is based on establishing a strong therapeutic alliance, providing unconditional acceptance and empathy, active listening, and adapting to the sensitivity of each client. Since the client is an active participant in the therapeutic process rather than a passive observer, the core principle of my work is that if both the client and I invest sufficient effort, the client can achieve changes that lead to a life he or she considers worth living.
In my work as an REBT & CBT psychotherapist, I have experience working with separating mood, emotions, and states from identity; depressive symptomatology; anxiety disorders; panic attacks; relationship issues; low self-esteem; lack of motivation; procrastination; feelings of shame, guilt, anger, and grief; as well as with practical life problems.