Adj. Prof. Vladimir Ivanovic

Change and challenge are part of every life, but they don’t have to be faced alone. Having chosen history as my major, I spent time as a young adult researching the darker edges of what the human mind can do and endure. I studied what people have done to one another in the context of war, forced migration, and torture. These topics affected me deeply and left a lasting mark, day after day, as I worked through such material. After several years of engaging with the horrors of history in the former Yugoslavia and beyond, I took up an academic position in Vienna and Berlin. Over time, I became disappointed with the limited impact that academic work can have on everyday life. This led me to a more personal path: I began my training in clinical psychology. Later, my clinical work as a psychologist and psychotherapist in psychiatric hospitals in Germany, including Charité and Martin Gropius Krankenhaus, gave me a deep understanding of resilience and recovery. It also strengthened hope: although pain is part of human existence, so is the motivation, and the capacity, to care for ourselves and for others. Today, in my work with clients, I combine professional expertise with empathy, helping people not only to overcome challenges but also to rediscover their own resources and move forward with greater confidence.