Experience, science and a human approach

For more than twenty years I have been devoted to understanding the human mind and applying evidence-based methods that help people overcome psychological difficulties and reach their full potential.

My professional path began with a deep fascination for the ways our thoughts shape emotions and behaviour. That fascination led me to the Albert Ellis Institute in New York, where I specialised in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and earned the highest international certifications — including the title of international supervisor, the only one of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As a full professor at the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Banja Luka, I combine academic work with clinical practice. This dual perspective gives me a unique insight into the latest research and its direct application in work with clients. I teach courses in clinical psychology and psychotherapy, and I am actively involved in scientific research on anxiety, depression and stress.

In my clinical work I apply an integrative approach grounded in the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). REBT, developed by Albert Ellis, is one of the first forms of cognitive behavioural therapy and rests on the premise that emotional difficulties arise not from events themselves, but from our irrational beliefs about them.

This approach is direct, structured and focused on solving concrete problems. I help clients identify and change the dysfunctional patterns of thinking that sustain anxiety, depression, anger and other emotional difficulties. The goal is not merely to relieve symptoms, but to bring about a deep change in the way a person experiences themselves, others and the world around them.

Alongside classic REBT, I integrate elements of third-wave cognitive behavioural therapies — Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) — which allow for a more flexible and personalised approach to each client.

Since 2008 I have practised cognitive behavioural coaching (CBC) — an evidence-based approach intended for healthy, well-functioning people who want to become even better at what they do. As the first member of the International Society for Coaching Psychology (ISCP) from London in the Balkans, I am a pioneer of this discipline in the region.

Unlike psychotherapy, coaching focuses exclusively on the present and the future — on setting and achieving goals, developing leadership skills, improving performance and removing mental blocks. CBC combines cognitive, behavioural and imaginative techniques with effective problem-solving, giving clients concrete tools to achieve outstanding results in their careers and personal lives.

As a full professor at the University of Banja Luka, I actively contribute to the development of psychology as a science in the region. I have published numerous papers in national and international journals in the fields of clinical psychology, cognitive behavioural therapy and coaching psychology. I take part in scientific conferences and supervise the work of younger colleagues and postgraduate students.

My research has a particular focus on the application of REBT in the treatment of anxiety disorders, depression and stress, as well as on the development and validation of measurement instruments for assessing irrational beliefs in the Serbian language.