Collaborators

Ilias Michail Rafail

Ilias Michail Rafail is a Counselor/Psychologist (PhD.c at Panteion University and BA at University of Athens) and an Adult Educator (M.Ed at Hellenic Open University). He works – among others, as a Scientific Responsible/Training Director at IASIS NGO, as a Training Director at KEK IEKEP and as a Project Manager in National and European Training and Consulting Programs. He is a member of the European Union’s Experts Group for Education and Vocational Training (DG Education & Training, EC) and is accredited as a trainer of trainers by the National Authorities of several nations’ “SALTO” European programs. He is the director of research and development (R&D) at IASIS NGO and oversees the creation and execution of national and European programs. Ilias has extensive experience in Adult Education, as a trainer in various European Programs for the last 25 years, with topics related to Empowerment, Team Building, Negotiation, Boundaries, Orientation, Relationships and Counseling (indicative).

Eric Kota

Eric Kota is a Psychologist, Trainer and Youth Worker. He works as a Researcher and Designer of European project of various funded frameworks (Erasmus+, CERV, AMIF, EuropeAid & HORIZON) in the research and development department of AmKE IASIS in the fields of education, social inclusion, digital transformation and sustainable development.

He holds a First-Class Honours degree (BSc Hons)  in Psychology  from the University of East London from where his thesis entitled “Head Rotation as an Indicator on Visuo-Spatial Short Term and Working Memory Tasks” which attempted to “unite” the research of topics of Cognitive Psychology and Computational Systems, was marked as a 1st class standard. He also holds a diploma in Digital Transformation from the University of the Aegean and is currently studying International Business Management (MBA Global) at the University of Derby.

Eric also organized and conducted more than 30 training workshops in over 8 countries.

Gabriel Mareș

Gabriel Mareș is lecturer at University “Vasilie Alecsandri” of Bacau, he has a Bachelor`s Degree in Educational Sciences and a Bachelor`s Degree in Psychology, a Master`s Degree in Communication and a Ph.D. in Educational Sciences. His research is focused on experiential approach of education, adult and parent education, therapeutic relationship, therapy and education of people with special needs and also in communication in education and health. His research is reflected in articles and chapters of books, textbooks, and course materials or participation at conferences. He has clinical expertise in working with HIV infected people and autistic children, also he has experience as trainer in life skills development programs for children and young people, critical thinking, and career counseling for teenagers and youngsters.

Eirini Symeonidou

Holds a Master in International Child Studies, specialized in International Child Rights and Development from King’s College London. She has completed undergraduate studies in the education of people with special needs and she has also worked as a teacher of children with multiple disabilities and autism.

Thelma Rún van Erven

Thelma Rún van Erven graduated as a psychologist (cand.psych) from the University of Iceland in 2017. She has been working at the Counselling and Diagnosis Centre (CDC) since then at the Division of Children and Adolescence. In her work she participates in various activities, including diagnostic work, counselling in schools, social skills training and having lectures about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability (ID) and sexual health. She has a certification as a Peers® trainer and has taught at Keep Safe®. She also runs courses for young people with ASD and ID about sexual health. Thelma Rún has her own practice as well where she treats adolescence with ASD and ID who are dealing with anxiety and depression among other things. She also works for The Icelandic Autistic Society with teenagers with ASD.

María Jónsdóttir

María Jónsdóttir has a MA degree in social work (2010) and certification as a specialist working with disabled people (2016).  She has also certification as a Peers® and Keep safe® trainer. She has experience as a social worker in a non-profit organization that provides service and accommodation for people with learning disabilities and people with autism (from 1997-2012). Since 2013 she has been working at the Counselling and Diagnosis Centre (CDC) and participated in various types of activities, including family support, diagnostic work, and accumulating knowledge in the CDC on support for schools and parents providing sex education for young people with autism (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). Her dissertation at the University of Iceland (2010) was about sex education in Iceland for people with ID. María has been a part time teacher in social work at the University of Iceland and published scholarly articles on sexual health and autism. She has published workbooks about sexuality for disabled people and  run courses for young people ASD and ID about sexual health. She maintains among others webpage about sexual health for people with ID and ASD; www.leikni.is.

Pop Anamaria Gabriela

Pop Anamaria Gabriela has a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education since 2008. She has been a school counselor and a partner for Autism Baia Mare Association since 2009 . Her trainer’s degree offered the opportunity to create a course accredited by the Ministry of Education and train over 500 teachers about adapting their teaching strategies when having a student with ASD in the classroom. She has also worked with other ONG`s as a school counselor, mainly with student with special needs.

Iolanda Sztrelenczuk

Iolanda Sztrelenczuk has a Bachelor Degree in Literature and has been teaching for more than 20 years. Ten years ago, she became interested in special education after her daughter was diagnosed with ASD. She attended a variety of courses to better understand the educational needs of students that learn differently. She started a pilot educational project – the first inclusive classes for students with ASD in mainstream Romanian schools – with great benefits for students with ASD but also for the teachers. She is also a trainer helping teachers to better understand the condition and adapt their teaching to the students needs.

Ph. D. Roxana Cardos

Roxana Cardoş, Ph.D., is a psychologist specialized in clinical psychology and psychotherapy, accredited by the Romanian Board of Psychologists (www.copsi.ro) and Albert Ellis Institute, SUA (http://albertellis.org/).

She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology (2011), an M.A. in “Clinical psychology, counseling and psychotherapy” (2013) and graduated at the Doctoral School “Psychodiagnostic and scientifically validated psychological interventions” (2017), at Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca.

Her expertise includes scientifically validated services for adolescents and adults, either individually or in groups, focusing on: 1) psychodiagnostics and treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders; 2) educational and vocational counseling; 4) personal development, and 5) promoting individual and organizational health.

Ph. D. Anca Dobrean

I am Professor, the head of Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy (see http://clinicalpsychology.psiedu.ubbcluj.ro/) at ”Babeş-Bolyai” University (BBU), Cluj-Napoca, Romania, one of the largest and most prestigious academic institutions in Eastern and Central Europe (see http://www.ubbcluj.ro).

My research is focused on the developing, investigating, and disseminating evidence-based interventions for child and adolescent mental health problems.

My program of research has brought significant contributions to both evidence based psychological assessment, and to evidence based intervention focused on behavioral and emotional problems in children and adolescents, more specifically, on assessing outcomes and mechanisms of emotional problems in children and adolescents.