Last weekend, 13–15 February 2026, the academic year of a new generation of trainees commenced at the BHIDAPA Academy of Psychotherapy, marking the second anniversary of the Academy’s work. This represents the seventh generation of training continuously developed through BHIDAPA’s European-accredited educational programmes, with two generations currently delivered within the framework of the BHIDAPA Academy of Psychotherapy.
Founded in 2014 in response to the growing needs of the community and the pronounced shortage of qualified professionals in psychotherapeutic work with children, adolescents, and their families, the BHIDAPA Association has, from its inception, invested in the development of the profession through high educational standards. In this field, additional specialised knowledge, personal psychotherapy, and supervised clinical practice constitute the foundation of safe, ethical, and high-quality professional work.
Through its educational programmes, the Academy systematically develops competencies for working with children, young people, and adults, offering training that is scientifically grounded, clinically applicable, and clearly structured within ethical standards. In addition to programmes in child and adolescent psychotherapy, capacities are further developed through integrative psychotherapy for adults, as well as therapy and counselling in the field of sexual health, focused on professionally sensitive and destigmatising work with issues related to relationships, identity, and sexual health concerns.
Additional training is provided through programmes for trainers and supervisors, as well as specialised education in therapeutic techniques and skills for working with children.
Over the past period, a broad network of professionals from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the region, and the wider international context has been established. As of this year, the Academy’s team has been further strengthened through the engagement of group process leader Haris E. Bilalović, along with psychotherapists working with trainees in accordance with the Academy’s educational and ethical standards. More about the professional staff.
The Academy emphasises that each new trainee represents an expansion of accessible support within the community. Although the impact of psychotherapy cannot be reduced to a single statistic, continuous education, personal psychotherapy, and supervised practice contribute to more accessible, timely, and high-quality support for children, adolescents, adults, and families, alongside stronger collaboration with other protection and support systems.
In the period ahead, continued investment in the development of the profession and the strengthening of professional capacities remains a priority, with the aim of ensuring that psychotherapeutic support becomes more accessible and better integrated into the system of mental health care.
