When I look back on my professional path so far, many experiences come to mind that have shaped my approach and my way of thinking a great deal.
More than I have been working for 15 years – with a longer interruption – in teacher education, where I teach psychology to future teachers and to those already practising. My students’ curious questions still inspire me to think further about interesting psychological phenomena, to read up on them and to stay informed.
I worked as a school psychologist for three years in a grammar school, so I can see the beauties and the shadow sides of school life and of learning and teaching not only from the teachers’ point of view, but also from that of the students.
I spent more than a decade in the field of child protection is, in various psychologist roles.
Work with children and young people living in children’s homes confirmed for me that it is worth looking for the possibility of development even in the most difficult situations.
I also worked for years in a foster-care network. In my work with foster parents and teachers I gained a direct view of the difficulties faced by people who take responsibility for other people’s children.
During a year and a half at the adoption service I gained experience of the difficulties someone goes through from the first moments of considering adoption, through application and waiting, to the actual adoption and becoming a family.
Through countless sessions held for participants of different ages and educational backgrounds, and with different focuses, training I have become practised in facilitating group processes.
It sometimes happens that I also bring some of my trainer experience and methods into the work with individual clients, when the aim is individual skills development.