Assist. prof. Bruna Profaca, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
FORMAL EDUCATION
- 2008 Ph.D. Doctor of Social Sciences – field Psychology (Clinical and Health Psychology)
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb
Thesis: Childhood exposure to traumatic experience and psychosocial functioning of the youth
- 2002 M.A. Master of Science – Clinical and Health Psychology
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb
Thesis: Parenting stress and some characteristics of social and emotional development of preschool child
- 1978 -1983 B.A. Bachelor of Science
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Zagreb
Academic degree: Psychologist, M.A., Graduation thesis: Research in the development of cognitive concepts
Thesis: Resaerch in the development of concepts
ACADEMIC RANK
2017 Assistant Professor
Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb
Social sciences
WORK EXPERIENCE
2002 – Child and Youth Protection Center of Zagreb
Clinical Psychologist
2003 – 2017 Child and Youth Protection Center of Zagreb
Head of Diagnostic and Treatment Department
1985 – 2002 Kindergarten Bukovac, Zagreb
Preschool Psychologist
OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE AND DUTIES
2015 – 2018 Trainer in Integrative Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy program (BHIDAPA, Sarajevo, Bosnia&Hercegovina: D.O.M., Zagreb, Croatia; Institute IPSA, Ljubljana, Slovenia), Modules: Treatment of child trauma, Treatment of mourning child
2014 – Expert in workgroup – National strategy on Rights of the Child in Republic of Croatia (2014-2020)
2015 – 2017 Educator – Naklada Slap (psychological tests publishers), Jastrebarsko, Croatia. Applied instrument Trauma Symtom Check List for Children
2006 – 2014 Permanent court expert witness – abused and traumatized children, Zagreb County Court
2003 – 2018 Trainer for volunteers of helpline for children and parents, NGO Brave Phone
2005 – 2006 External Researcher on Center for Educational Research and Development, Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Zagreb (Croatia). Project: Self evaluation of preschool institution
1997 – 2002 Psychologist and educator in Crisis Intervention Team (Society for Psychological Assistance, Ministry of Social Welfare, Ministry of Education, UNICEF
1995 – 1996 Educator for mental health professinals in Project “Posttraumatic Recovery”, Society for Psychological Assitance, Zagreb and Catholic Relief Service
1993 – 1996 Educator and supervisor in Project “Psychosocial help to refugee preschool children, their parents and preschool teachers in kindergarten and refugees camps” Ministry of Education, Faculty for special education, UNICEF
1991 – 1992 Psychologist Volunteer on helpline
ASSOCIATIONS/ MEMBERSHIPS/ PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- The International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN)
- European Association of Parental Alienation Practitioners (EAPAP)
- Croatian Society for Traumatic Stress/ European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
- Croatian Psychological Chamber
- Croatian Psychological Society
- Psychological Society of Zagreb
AWARDS
2003 – Croatian Psychological Society “Marulić: Fiat Psychologia” Award
Award for especially valuable contribution to the development of the applied psychology in Croatia
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND EDUCATIONS
- 2018 Attachment Based Family Therapy (ATBF)
dr. Jody Russon, USA (Zagreb, Child and Youth Protection Center of Zagreb)
- 2017 Working with Trauma from and Attachment/Emotionally Focused Therapy Perspective
dr. Leanne Campbell, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 2017 Mentalization-Based Treatment for Adolescence (MBT-A)
dr. P. Fonagy, Anna Freud National Centre for Children & Families
- 2017 Working with Parental Alienation: Understanding, Differentiation, Intervention, Zagreb
Karen Woodall & Nick Woodall – Family Separatin Clinic, London, UK
- 2017 Attachment and Trauma Conference
Rome, Italy
- 2016 Working with Parental Alienation Training, Zagreb
Karen Woodall & Nick Woodall – Family Separation Clinic, London, UK
- 2015 Advanced Forensic Interviewing Training, Zagreb
Linda Cordisco Steele – National Children’s Advocacy Center, Huntsville, USA
- 2014 – 2015 Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Dragica Barbarić, Zagreb
- 2013 Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), Child Protection Centre of Zagreb
Bonner, B. L. and Schmidt, S. – Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, Child Study Center, University of Oklahoma. USA
- 2011 Art therapy – Structured Trauma Intervention
Jimenez Alonso, H. (Austria), Zagreb
- 2009 – 2010 “Moaiku – somatic trauma workshop” – “Building bridges between trauma and personality – Resource – oriented skill training in trauma work”
Merete Holm Brantjberg, (Denmark), London (UK)
- 2007 The Advance Skills Training InstituteXIth ISPCAN European Regional Conference, Lisbon, PortugalSupporting Prevention and Recovery from Child Abuse and NeglectRole of Professionals, Communities and FamiliesInternational Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN)
- 2006 Relational and Integrative Psychotherapy
Richard Erskin, R. G. Ph.D., Training Director of the Institute for Integrative Psychotherapy, Vancouver
- 2005 Gestalt therapy with children workshop
- 2006 Trauma and abuse
American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children
APSAC’s First Annual Trauma Treatment Clinic, Hawaii
- 2004 Assesment and planning of treatment traumatised children and their families.
William N. Friedrich, Child and Youth Protection Center of Zagreb (Croatia), Mayo Clinic (USA)
- 2003 Forensic Interviewing of Children Training, Zagreb
The National Children’s Advocacy Center, Huntsville, AL (SAD)
- 2002 NLP Training
Zagreb, Croatia
- 1999 Gestalt Art Therapy
Zora Subotić and Claudia Wagner (Zagreb, München)
- 1997 – 1998 Family Gestalt Therapy
J. Juul, Society for Psychological Assistance and Kempler Institute of Skandinavia
- 1995 – 1997 Advanced Trauma and Recovery Training Program for Mental Health Professionals
Society for Psychological Assistance, The University of Texax (Houston)
- 1993 Gestalt Art Therapy
Michael Rain
- 1993 – 1994 Training for professionals in psychosocial programs for refugee children
R. Pynoos, O. Ayalon, UNICEF
- 1992 Work with traumatized children
Magne Raundalen, UNICEF
- 1990 Emerging body language
- 1988 Behavior therapy
Croatian Psychological Society, Zagreb
- 1986 – 1988 Gestalt therapy training
Mladen and Nada Kostić, Croatian Psychological Society, Zagreb
PUBLICATIONS
Published scientific papers, book chapters and several handbooks.
Presented on more than 40 scientific domestic and international conferences adn symposia.
Books and brochures:
- Author and editor of brochures and leaflets for professionals and parents, Child protection center of Zagreb
- Author of a few chapters in books, several journal articles and papers on conferences in Croatia and in other countries.
- Žižak, A., Profaca, B. and Milanović, M. (ed.)(1995): Handbook II for educators included in the Program for psychosocial help to displaced / refugee children and to war traumatised preschool children, to their parents and pre-school teachers working with them in kindergartens and day care centres within refugee camps, Ministry of education and sport of Croatia, UNICEF, Zagreb
- Starc, B., Čudina Obradović, M., Pleša, A., Profaca, B., Letica, M. (2004): Characteristics and Psychological Conditions of Pre-school Child Development, Golden Marketing, Zagreb
- Profaca, B. and Puhovski, S. (2005) Helping the Mourning Child, Child protection center of Zagreb, City of Zagreb
- Profaca, B. (1993) Let’s Talk about Mum and Dad, book for children, Tin d.o.o., Zagreb
