About Us

The Beginning of BHIDAPA

BHIDAPA began operations in December 2014, as a response to research results on mental health problems of children and adolescents in our region. Research results indicate that almost every fourth child is suffering and is at high risk for possible development of mental difficulties. These results are in line with global research and WHO indicators, as well as reports that speak of the greatest deficit of professionals in the field of developmental mental health. The main goal of BHIDAPA was to launch a specialized educational program in integrative psychotherapy and counseling for children and young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to ensure and improve the protection of mental health and optimal conditions for the healthy development of every child and adolescent. Developmental psychotherapy, as a separate and independent scientific discipline and profession, occupies a significant place in primary, secondary and tertiary prevention in preserving the health and well-being of children and young people.

Since child psychotherapy differs greatly from adult psychotherapy, which is why specific education is necessary, BHIDAPA, in 2015, launched, as part of primary prevention, the first educational program in integrative psychotherapy and counseling for children and adolescents, which is based on a developmental approach to children and young people, incorporating a humanistic, holistic and integrative approach aligned with new knowledge from the fields of neuroscience, developmental psychology, psychotherapy, under the leadership of Professor Dubravka Kocijan Hercigonja, neuropsychiatrist and psychotherapist for children and young people, in cooperation with the D.O.M. Institute.

Trainees have, so far, had the opportunity to integrate their knowledge and skills from over 20 eminent professionals from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, England, Malta, Serbia and America.

First EIATSCYP Accreditation

In April 2016 in Antwerp, we became an equal member of the European interdisciplinary therapeutic service for children and young people – EIATSCYP and the first European accredited educational program in the field of integrative psychotherapy and counseling for children and adolescents in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

First Graduated Child and Adolescent Integrative Psychotherapists

In September 2017, our country received nine European licensed child and adolescent integrative psychotherapists who successfully met all the requirements of the educational program according to European propositions, and by successfully passing the final exam before a three-member committee consisting of Prof. Dr. med. sc. Dubravka Kocijan-Hercigonja, neuropsychiatrist and psychotherapist for children and adolescents, mentor; Prof. Dr. med. sc. Vera Daneš-Brozek, child psychiatrist and psychotherapist and Assoc. Prof. Dr. psych. sc. Lidija Petocić, psychotherapist, obtained the title of child and adolescent integrative psychotherapist. The ceremony of awarding diplomas to the first child and adolescent psychotherapists was addressed by Prim. Dr. Goran Čerkez, Deputy Minister of the Federal Ministry of Health, who graced this celebration with his presence.

Thus, our country received the first nine European licensed child and adolescent integrative psychotherapists in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Interdisciplinary Therapeutic Center

At the end of 2017, by decision of the BHIDAPA Assembly, the statute of the Association was expanded with the main goal of reaching the highest standards in respecting the Convention on the Rights of the Child through advocating for the creation of conditions for opening an Interdisciplinary Therapeutic Center for the Protection of Children, Young People and Families.

First Interdisciplinary Congress

From October 18 to 21, 2018 in Sarajevo, the First Congress of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy – “The Role of Psychotherapy in Preserving the Health and Well-being of Children and Adolescents” was held, which aimed to emphasize the existence of the need to increase awareness of all professionals in the fields of health, social protection, education and justice about the importance of multidisciplinary and intersectoral cooperation in preserving the health and well-being of children and adolescents. The Congress was a meeting place for different disciplines, institutions and organizations, attended by over 500 participants from 16 countries of the region and the world with 110 speakers. The presentations were organized through plenary lectures, round tables, workshops, symposia and panels. It was a pleasure to present the role of psychotherapy through primary, secondary and tertiary prevention in preserving the health and well-being of children and adolescents through three groups:

1. Mental health of children and adolescents
2. Specificities of the therapeutic approach to different problems and challenges of growing up of children and adolescents in the new millennium
3. Psychotherapeutic approach in the treatment of children and adolescents – workshops

First Interdisciplinary Journal

At the beginning of 2019, we launched the First International Journal: “Psychotherapy in Preserving the Health and Well-being of Children and Adolescents”. Developmental psychotherapy, as a separate and independent profession, occupies a significant place in primary, secondary and tertiary prevention in preserving the health and well-being of children and young people. New knowledge clearly indicates that most psychological difficulties in adulthood have their roots in childhood. The goal of the Journal is to increase awareness and emphasize the importance of scientific and professional cooperation in early recognition and specific interventions aimed at treating children, young people and their parents, so that together we can prevent, to the greatest possible extent, the development of disorders in adulthood. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a fundamental value for promoting health.

The journal enables the presentation of original scientific articles, review articles, professional articles and case studies from different fields that aim to preserve the health and well-being of children and young people.

Cooperation Signed With the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zenica

In February 2019, cooperation was signed between the Rectorate of the University of Zenica and BHIDAPA, and on October 25, 2019, at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zenica, the educational program in the field of psychotherapeutic counseling for children and adolescents in community mental health centers officially began. Graduated integrative psychotherapists for children and adolescents are professional associates in teaching: Prim. MSc med. Azra Arnautović, dipl. psych. Belma Žiga, doctoral candidate MSc Đana Lončarica, dipl. psych. Sabina Zijadić Husić, dipl. psych. Selma Gaši, dipl. psych. Senka Čimpo and social pedagogue Mirjana Gavrić.

I sincerely thank Prim. Dr. Goran Čerkez, Deputy Minister of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Mental Health Project of BiH led by MSc Irina Puvač, Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. sc. Sabahudin Ekinović and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zenica, headed by Prof. Dr. med. sc. Harun Hodžić, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, for recognizing the importance of specialized education in the field of child and adolescent psychotherapy and counseling. We believe that this is a significant step forward and the beginning of long-term cooperation to jointly participate in the implementation of educational programs in the field of child and adolescent psychotherapy and counseling, which makes us a leader in the region. The goal of educational programs is to provide unique standards of education-training aimed at nurturing health, protection and well-being of children and young people, and thus society as a whole.

On behalf of BHIDAPA, Dr. Sci. Mirela Badurina, founder and director.

As a society, we must not forget that the future of every individual and of humanity in general depends on the child, on the development of their creation of the self and the world around them.

Professor Dubravka Kocijan Hercigonja, PhD

European Accreditation EAIP

In December 2019, our Educational Center was visited by an EAIP commission. We hosted the President of the European Association for Integrative Psychotherapy, Bruno Van den Bosch, and an EAIP Board Member, Hilde Vleugels. BHIDAPA meets all the criteria for full membership and for obtaining the status of a European Accredited Institute for Integrative Psychotherapy (EAIP). The official accreditations were granted at the EIAP Annual General Assembly in October 2020, thereby making BHIDAPA a full member of EAIP organizations and granting it the status of a European Accredited Center for the implementation of an educational program in the field of Integrative Psychotherapy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This major achievement of BHIDAPA’s admission into the European Accredited Institutes for Integrative Psychotherapy was further enriched by the graduation of new psychotherapists at the ceremonial promotion of the second generation of child and adolescent integrative psychotherapists and counselors.

Second Generation of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists and Counselors

In February 2020, at the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Sarajevo, the second generation of child and adolescent integrative psychotherapists and counselors in Bosnia and Herzegovina was promoted. The examination committee consisted of:

• Professor Dubravka Kocijan Hercigonja, MD, PhD, neuropsychiatrist and integrative psychotherapist for children and adolescents – mentor;
• Professor Gordana Buljan Flander, PhD, clinical psychologist and integrative psychotherapist;
• Professor Mirjana Graovac, MD, PhD, psychiatrist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist,

She evaluated the final exam defenses of the graduates with the highest grade and promoted the second generation of graduated child and adolescent integrative psychotherapists and counselors.

At the ceremonial event, attended by more than 150 guests, including family members, friends, colleagues, and associates, addresses were given by the esteemed professors from the examination committee, the head of the educational program, PhD Mirela Badurina, and Prim. Dr. Goran Čerkez, Deputy Minister for Public Health of the Federal Ministry of Health.

Global Virtual Supervision of the Oaklander Training Center

In March 2020, BHIDAPA actively joined the global virtual supervision of the Oaklander Training Center. The network brings together experts from psychotherapy institutes and centers for children and adolescents from more than 25 countries worldwide. The supervisions and consultations are intended for psychotherapists working with children, adolescents, and parents who align their work with the Oaklander virtual model “Just for Now.”

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the BHIDAPA expert team prepared for and strengthened its capacity to provide virtual crisis interventions through multidisciplinary assessment, psychological intervention, and treatment focused on normalization, stabilization, and support for the development of resilience capacities in children and their parents, as well as intersectoral interventions aimed at child protection during the current health crisis, with the goal of contributing to the reduction of the negative impact of the pandemic on the mental health of children, adolescents, and their families.

The BHIDAPA Educational Center provides continuous education, intervision, and supervision to our interdisciplinary expert team of the therapeutic center for the protection of children, youth, and families, focusing on effective ways to deliver virtual/telephone crisis interventions, as well as diagnostic, counseling, and psychotherapeutic treatment for children, youth, and parents during crisis periods, while respecting the prerequisites of the ethical code for conducting virtual/telephone treatments.

The knowledge and skills acquired during the global health crisis will benefit the professional team in the post-pandemic period as well.

Virtual Crisis Intervention Project

In order to contribute to the protection of and reduction in the negative impact of the health crisis on the mental health and well-being of children, adolescents, and their parents, in May 2020 we created and implemented an education/training project entitled Virtual Crisis Interventions “Here and Now”, in cooperation with UNICEF BiH, with the support of USAID and the approval of the competent ministries in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The education/training aimed to strengthen professionals from mental health centers, social welfare centers, and educational institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the application of virtual/telephone crisis interventions when working with children, youth, and families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second International Congress

Despite the challenging circumstances, the Second International Congress of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy was organized under the title: The Importance and Possibilities of Psychosocial Support in Protecting the Mental Health of Children and Youth During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic. The main partner of the Congress was UNICEF BiH.

Thank you to all the lecturers who responded to our invitation on short notice and showed their willingness to share their knowledge and examples of good practice under changed circumstances.

Third Generation of Child and Adolescent Integrative Psychotherapists

The final examination of the third generation was held in June 2021 in a combined format, in person and online. The exam consisted of two parts and included a presentation of the integration of theoretical and practical knowledge and skills of the female graduates in the therapeutic treatment of children, adolescents, and their parents. The examination committee consisted of:

• Professor Dubravka Kocijan Hercigonja, MD, PhD, neuropsychiatrist, integrative psychotherapist for children and youth, mentor and chair of the committee;
• Professor Gordana Buljan Flander, PhD, clinical psychologist and integrative psychotherapist for children and youth, mentor and member of the committee;
• Professor Mirjana Graovac, MD, PhD, psychiatrist, specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychoanalytic psychotherapist, mentor and member of the committee,

She evaluated the final exam defenses of the graduates in accordance with the demonstrated knowledge and skills.

The chair of the examination committee announced the committee’s decision and promoted the third generation of graduated child and adolescent integrative psychotherapists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia. The child and adolescent integrative psychotherapists of the third generation of the educational program are: Mia Roje Đapić, Jelena Subašić, Merima Špirtović, Maja Žuljević, Marija Pavlović, Amra Razman, Iskra Mihalj, Katarina Višić, and Samira Omerkić (in the order of examination).

Project in Cooperation With Doctors of the World

The project entitled Basic Skills in the Treatment of Children on the Move and the Recovery Plan was implemented in 2021 in cooperation with Médecins du Monde and UNICEF BiH.

The training is intended for professionals (psychologists, psychotherapists, pedagogues, and social workers) who provide psychosocial support to children on the move in migrant camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

Cooperation between Médecins du Monde and BHIDAPA began in January 2021 with the aim of strengthening the capacities of professionals for the specialized treatment of children and adolescents on the move, with and without accompaniment, in preserving mental health.

First Generation of Integrative Psychotherapists for Adults

In September 2021, we took another historic step in the development of psychotherapy in Bosnia and Herzegovina. With the module on the topic Integrative Psychotherapy: Introduction and Comparisons, Professor Gregor Žvelc, PhD, psychotherapist, trainer, and supervisor, officially opened the first educational program in the field of integrative psychotherapy for adults. With this new program, BHIDAPA completed its educational offerings in integrative psychotherapy. At the same time, the fifth generation of trainees began education in child and adolescent integrative psychotherapy. We are pleased that our BHIDAPA European-accredited educational programs have been recognized beyond the borders of our country, as colleagues from Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Syria have also joined us.

Interdisciplinary Network of Professionals Project

After the completion of the previous education cycle “Virtual Crisis Interventions Here & Now,” the goal of the new cycle is the development and strengthening of the established interdisciplinary network of professionals “Here & Now” in preserving the mental health of children in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The education and training are focused on strengthening community resilience capacities for the purpose of providing early intervention and promoting the mental health and emotional well-being of children, adolescents, and their families.

In addition to thematic modules and space for supervision-related questions, an important aspect of this project is research and screening of the mental health of children and adolescents in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The final phase of the project is a conference at which the results and examples of good practice focused on promoting the mental health of children, adolescents, and their families will be presented. We extend our gratitude to the project partners UNICEF in BiH and the EU, as well as the relevant ministries, for their trust and support.

We believe that we succeeded in making the voices of children, young people, their parents, and educators heard. At the conference, the honorary guests, through their addresses, emphasized the importance of this project, which placed the promotion of the mental health of children and youth at its core by strengthening the resilience of communities of professionals from the helping professions. The shortage of professionals in the fields of child and adolescent psychiatry, psychotherapy, and counseling, as well as the need for educational programs, was also highlighted.

The final event within the one-year project Interdisciplinary Network of Professionals “Here & Now” was the online conference “A Child’s Soul Needs to Be Heard,” organized on November 28, 2022, in cooperation with UNICEF. The conference brought together more than 200 participants.

This was an opportunity to document the significance of the program which, in this segment of the “Here & Now” project, brought together 34 professionals from the health, social welfare, preschool, and education sectors from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska, and the Brčko District. Based on data submitted by 65% of the professionals involved in the project, the indirect beneficiaries are children, parents, and primary caregivers (a total of 3,178 beneficiaries, including 1,860 children and adolescents). Numerous conference participants confirmed the importance of well-being during the education process, and especially the creation, strengthening, expansion, and nurturing of the interdisciplinary network of professionals “Here & Now.” They are now a source of support for one another.

The honorary guests were: the UNICEF representative in BiH, Dr. Rowan Khan; the Assistant Minister for Public Health of the Federal Ministry of Health, Prim. Dr. Goran Čerkez; the Assistant Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Republika Srpska, Dr. Milan Latinović; and MSc Mara Matkić, representative of the Department for Preschool and School Education of the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We extend our thanks to our colleague Esmin Brodlija and to colleagues Ljiljana Uletilović, Emanuela Buzak, and Cvijanka Rakić for their insights and presented examples of good practice. We offer special thanks to our professors—Professor Gordana Buljan Flander, PhD; Professor Mirjana Graovac, PhD; and Professor Tatjana Stefanović Stanojević, PhD—for their time and for delivering the plenary lectures.