MY PROFESSIONAL STORY

At the age of 51, I draw from the experiences gained during my long-standing practice as a psychoanalyst and psychotherapist, with international studies and trainings opening new horizons and deepening my professional insight. I graduated from two universities in the USA and one in Austria, which provided me not only with theoretical foundations but also with valuable international perspective and practical experience, significantly enriching my professional approach. These experiences have particularly enriched me personally, as I have had the opportunity to work with various people from different cultures and life circumstances.

My interest in people led me to complete several psychotherapeutic trainings, which helped me develop practical skills in working with clients. I regularly update my professional knowledge and am an active member of several psychotherapeutic associations. Expertise is important to me, and I continually engage in further education and keep track of new trends in psychotherapy so I can offer the best support to my clients.

EXPERT BACKGROUND

MEMBERSHIPS

  • Member of the European Association for Psychotherapy, which “sets the highest professional standards for the independent and free practice of psychotherapy” in all European Union countries and also defines current and rigorous standards of competence and professionalism that every member must maintain during therapy
  • Member of the Austrian Association for Psychotherapy, which provides its members with professional support, educational opportunities, access to expert materials, and psychotherapy profession insurance
  • Member of the Psychoanalytic Institute PSI, which integrates modern psychoanalytic techniques and schools; in accordance with legal regulations (§7 Psychotherapiegesetz BGBl.Nr. 361/1990), it is a state-recognized educational institute for psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy
  • Member of the Slovak Institute for Psychotraumatology and EMDR, which provides its members with support and education in psychotherapy, with a focus on psychotraumatology and EMDR
  • Member of the Czech Institute for Psychotraumatology and EMDR, which provides its members with development opportunities, knowledge sharing, and experience with EMDR and other psychotraumatological methods (education and expertise accredited by the European Association for EMDR)

BASIC TRAINING

ADDITIONAL PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC EDUCATION AND COURSE

I continuously invest in deepening my education and experience to keep up with the development of science.

  • Education/courses related to psychoanalytic psychotherapy (e.g., , relational dynamics and transference, object relations, Ego psychology countertransference; new insights from attachment theory, etc.)
  • Education/courses related to analytical therapy (Jung) (e.g., individuation, archetypes and unconscious processes, dream work)
  • Education/courses related to EMDR (e.g., Gearbox)
  • Education/courses related to individual therapy (Adler) (e.g., life meaning and social interest)
  • Education/courses related to cognitive-behavioral therapy (Beck) (e.g., cognitive restructuring)
  • Courses and education related to psychiatric diagnosis of personality disorders (e.g., diagnosis and classification of personality disorders; SKID-II and SKID-III)
  • Courses and education related to rapid experiential dynamic psychotherapy (AEDP, Fosha) (e.g., transformative experience and secure relationships)
  • Regular supervision in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and EMDR
  • and others…

PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC PRACTICE:

My initial training practice at the  Sigmund Freud University and the Psychoanalytic Institute PSI involved 620 hours as an analysand in long-term training psychotherapy according to Austrian training regulations for psychoanalysis, of which 465 hours were individual and 155 hours were group sessions. In addition, I gained 2000 hours as a trainee in training psychotherapeutic practice and 1500 hours translating professional psychotherapeutic literature.

In my professional practice, I have had the opportunity to work in various institutions, such as the University Psychotherapy Clinic in Vienna (Universitätsambulanz für Psychotherapie) and the psychiatric clinic in Trenčín. I have also been engaged in research at the  Sigmund Freud University in Vienna for nearly ten years. This time spent in different work environments and with various clients has helped me gain valuable experience and perspectives. The long-term and continuous nature of this practice has contributed to a more stable professional foundation, which is essential for my work in private psychotherapy practice, which I currently carry out in Vienna and Trnava.

ADDITIONAL EDUCATION AND ACTIVITIES:

  • Juris Doctor, law studies (Wake Forest University, North Carolina, USA (J.D., 2000)
  • Bachelor of Arts, studies in German (University of North Carolina, USA. (B.A., 1996)
  • European Lawyer (Slovak Bar Association)
  • Solicitor in England and Wales (Solicitors Regulation Authority)
  • Attorney at Law in the State of New York (State of New York, Supreme Court)
  • Consultancy and advisory work for Slovenské elektrárne, a.s.
  • Consultancy and advisory work for the American firm White & Case
  • Consultancy and advisory work for the English firm Linklaters
  • Translation work (German and English)
  • Book of Quotes (2014, Marenčin PT), Quotes on Love (2017, Marenčin PT)
  • Translation of the critical biography of Sigmund Freud (Freud: Darkness in the Midst of Vision, F Publishing, 2019)

[1] The certification is awarded by the EAP to those psychotherapists who have achieved professional competence (professional education, training) according to the current – continuously updated – rigorous criteria of the EAP.

[2] Although I have not completed formal standardized training in these methods, I am very familiar with them. I have gained expertise and experience in these methods through specialized courses and education, which I apply in practice.