Health professionals for Obsessive–compulsive disorder-OCD in Macedonia

Georgina Argyriou is a Psychologist – Psychotherapist who offers online sessions. She holds a degree in Psychology with specialization in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and is licensed to practice. At the same time, she is completing her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at Hellenic American University. She has also received specialized training in the treatment of Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from the University Mental Health Research Institute (EPIPSI). She has completed her clinical internship at the Athens Mental Health Center – Behavioral Therapy Unit (EKEPSYE).

Dimitra Karakasi is a Psychologist-Psychotherapist, graduate of the Department of Psychology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She has completed postgraduate studies and specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She has worked in mental health facilities and school units, gaining experience in providing psychological support to adults, adolescents, and children. She deals with issues related to anxiety, depression, difficulties in interpersonal relationships, and enhancing self-esteem. Her clinical practice is based on scientifically validated methods, aiming to promote mental health and personal development.

Xatzopoulos Dimitrios is a Psychologist who maintains a private practice in Kavala, a space where personal contact and trust create the ideal environment to begin the journey of self-awareness and well-being. As a psychologist with a degree in Psychology from the University of East London (UEL), he creates a safe and confidential environment for his clients, offering psychological support and counseling to individuals facing various issues and difficulties. Every person is unique, as are the challenges they encounter. He provides a safe space for individuals to explore their emotions, understand their behaviors, and develop new coping strategies. Through the application of theories and techniques learned during his studies, personal study, and professional experience, he offers specialized support for issues such as mental disorders (e.g., depression, ADHD, etc.), psychological problems (e.g., caregiver anxiety, anger, and hostility, etc.), as well as medical issues with psychological factors (e.g., insomnia, migraine, etc.). His approach is based on professional ethics and his commitment to providing quality care to his clients. Through his skills and enthusiasm for psychology, he offers a valuable source of support.

Dafni Danatsa is a Psychologist, training in Clinical Psychology, and conducts online sessions. She holds a degree in Psychology from Glyndwr University in Wales (through IST College) and possesses a professional license to practice as a psychologist. Additionally, she holds a Life Coaching Diploma from the Authority of Professional Coaching & Mentoring and has attended seminars and conferences concerning the management of psychological effects in individuals with chronic illnesses.

She has particular experience in supporting parents and children with celiac disease and type I diabetes, as well as in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Ms. Danatsa works exclusively remotely, offering sessions via video call in a secure, confidential, and supportive environment.

Kavadatos Aleksios, BSc, MSc, is a Psychologist – Psychotherapist with a private practice in Kozani. He graduated from the Department of Psychology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and holds a Master's Degree (MSc) in Clinical Psychology from the same institution. He has been trained in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Group Analysis, and possesses over 20 years of experience in the field of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Adult Psychotherapy. He has served as the Scientific Supervisor in psychosocial rehabilitation facilities in Thessaloniki and Kozani, as well as a Supervisor of the psychological support program of the 3rd Health Region “No One Alone During the Pandemic”. Additionally, he was a member of the Scientific Committee for the psychological support telephone line 10306. From 2009 to 2023, he maintained a private practice in Thessaloniki and currently practices professionally in Kozani. Since 2023, he has been the President of the NPO IONOS, an organization active in mental health and social rehabilitation. He has attended numerous seminars and conferences aimed at continuous professional development and has many publications and presentations in the mental health field. He has organized and coordinated counseling groups for parents, caregivers of persons with disabilities, educators, and healthcare professionals, as well as psychoeducational groups for managing anxiety and professional burnout.

Thomas Palikrousis is a Psychologist (UEL), certified Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapist (EEGSPS), Dietitian-Nutritionist (ATEITH), and Food Technologist (ATEITH), twice awarded scholarships by the State Scholarship Foundation (IKY). He holds four postgraduate degrees (MSc) in Aging and Chronic Disease Management (HOU), Quality Management and Food Industry Production Organization (ATEITH), Quality Assurance (HOU), and Food Chemistry (AUTH). He is a doctoral candidate at the Department of Food Science and Technology (DIPE), a student in the Department of Agriculture at the University of Western Macedonia, and a postgraduate student in Applied Developmental Psychology (HOU).

His professional work focuses on bridging theory and practice through an interdisciplinary approach. Specifically, he practices privately as a Psychologist, having provided mental health services at the Student Counseling and Support Center (KSSF) of the University of Macedonia (PAMAK). As a Dietitian-Nutritionist, alongside operating a private practice, he has collaborated with professional and amateur sports clubs. As a Food Technologist, he has worked with numerous food industries, contributing to the design of products that have received significant awards at the International Taste Awards and Healthy Diet Awards. Additionally, he is a researcher at the International Hellenic University (DIPE) and has served as a faculty member at a private university college in collaboration with the state University of Essex (United Kingdom), independently teaching courses in the BSc (Hons) Dietetics (Applied) program. Finally, he is a member of the Sports Nutrition Working Group and the Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Committee of the Pan-Hellenic Association of Dietitians-Nutritionists, as well as the association's representative for the Florina Prefecture.

Roxani - Maria Vakalou is a Psychologist, graduate of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, specializing in Clinical Psychology. She is a certified Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist and is training in Bioenergetic Clinical Hypnosis.

Her choice of specializations is based on the integration of two critical pillars: focusing on the "here and now," addressing dysfunctional patterns of thinking and behavior, and processing emotional traumas formed during early developmental stages before the development of logical thinking.

Her career in the Mental Health field includes voluntary service at S.O.F.PSY. Serres, coordinating therapeutic groups and cognitive-behavioral interventions; collaboration with the Hellenic Alzheimer’s Disease Association; specialization in "Dance Theatre"; and mental health counseling in a multinational environment through conducting psychoeducational groups and individual sessions (since 2024).

She firmly believes that Psychotherapy is the most valuable investment in oneself and the cornerstone of self-awareness and mental well-being. Her goal is, within an environment of trust, understanding, and acceptance, to help individuals genuinely "embrace" themselves.

Petrou Vilma MSc is a Psychologist - Psychotherapist and conducts online sessions. She graduated from the Department of Psychology at Panteion University of Athens with honors. She has held a professional practice license since 2021 and has specialized in stress management and anxiety disorders through the postgraduate program "Science of Stress and Health Promotion" at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Her psychotherapeutic approach is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), in which she was trained through the four-year training program of the Institute for Research and Behavioral Therapy (IEΘS). Simultaneously, through her participation in a holistic stress management and lifestyle change program for heroin-dependent users at the OKANA Unit of Sismanogleio Hospital, she gained valuable experience in the management of addictions, providing both individual and group sessions. In recent years, she has worked with children, adolescents, and adults, offering psychotherapy and counseling on issues such as anxiety disorders, depression, emotional difficulties, and interpersonal relationship challenges. Her experience includes individual adult sessions (both in-person and online), as well as sessions with children and adolescents through her collaboration with Special Therapy Centers. Her goal is to tailor the techniques she applies to the individualized needs of each client, aiming to improve their mental health and quality of life.

Maggana Panagiota is a Psychologist - Specialist Psychotherapist working privately, offering online sessions in Greek and English. She provides services to individuals living in Greece and abroad. She is a graduate of the Department of Psychology (BSc) at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). She holds a master's degree (MSc) in Social Psychology from Tilburg University in the Netherlands. Additionally, she specializes through a four-year training program in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) provided by the Hellenic Society of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapy (GACBP).

The therapeutic approach of Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy aims to illuminate the connections between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. From early years and throughout a person's life, certain thought patterns as well as cognitive and behavioral "habits" are formed that are not always functional and often lead to dysphoric feelings or complicate our relationship with ourselves or others.

In therapy, the goal is to establish a therapeutic alliance and collaboration to identify these patterns. By setting realistic goals and considering objective environmental challenges, the individual begins to gain self-awareness, practice self-acceptance and self-compassion, and through a range of tools, develops new mechanisms for managing the self, relationships, and everyday situations.

Kexagias S Ioannis is a Psychologist MA and Psychotherapist who maintains a private practice in Kavala. He holds a degree from the Department of Psychology at the University of Sheffield and has a Master's degree (MA) in Counseling Psychology from the University of Sheffield. He has completed psychotherapeutic training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and conducted his internship as a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist at the private psychiatric clinic “Η Γαλήνη” and at the Community Counseling Center in Thessaloniki. He provides individual adult sessions both in person and online. Additionally, he specializes in anxiety and mood disorders, specific phobias, depression, eating disorders, panic attacks, psychosomatic symptoms, difficulties in relationships and communication, and the enhancement of self-image and self-esteem.

As part of his ongoing professional development, he attends numerous seminars and training sessions related to clinical health.

Ο Κοτρώτσιος Δημήτρης είναι Ψυχολόγος - Ψυχοθεραπευτής CBT με άδεια ασκήσεως επαγγέλματος και αφοσιώνεται στη βοήθεια και τη στήριξη εφήβων και ενηλίκων στην ανάπτυξη της ψυχικής τους ευεξίας. Έχοντας αποφοιτήσει από το τμήμα Ψυχολογίας του Αριστοτελείου Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλονίκης, στηριζόμενος σε αυτό, προχώρησε τις σπουδές του για να αποκτήσει μεταπτυχιακό τίτλο σπουδών στην Κλινική Ψυχική Υγεία του τμήματος Ιατρικής από το ίδιο πανεπιστήμιο, εμβαθύνοντας στην πολυπλοκότητα της ψυχικής υγείας και των θεραπευτικών προσεγγίσεων. Παράλληλα, εξειδικεύεται στη Γνωστική Συμπεριφορική Ψυχοθεραπεία (CBT) στην Ελληνική Εταιρεία Έρευνας Συμπεριφοράς, σύμφωνα με τα κριτήρια της European Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (EABCT), αποκτώντας πολύτιμες δεξιότητες για να ασχολείται με ένα ευρύ φάσμα ψυχολογικών προβλημάτων. Κατά την μέχρι τώρα ενασχόλησή του με τον τομέα της ψυχικής υγείας, έχει δραστηριοποιηθεί στην εργασία με ευάλωτες πληθυσμιακές ομάδες ανηλίκων και ενηλίκων, όπου παρείχε ψυχοεκπαιδευτικές παρεμβάσεις, συμβουλευτική και ατομικές συνεδρίες ψυχοθεραπείας για την αντιμετώπιση μιας σειράς αναπτυξιακών και συναισθηματικών δυσκολιών. Επιπλέον, στο πλαίσιο της δια βίου επιμόρφωσης στον επιστημονικό κλάδο, έχει παρακολουθήσει και ολοκληρώσει διάφορα δια βίου εκπαιδευτικά προγράμματα. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, έχει εξειδικευτεί στην "Ψυχική Υγεία: Τραυματικά Γεγονότα και Διαχείριση Απώλειας/Πένθους", επιτρέποντάς του να χειρίζεται επιδέξια θέματα που σχετίζονται με το τραύμα, την απώλεια και το μετατραυματικό στρες, και στην "Ψυχοεκπαίδευση και Συμπεριφορική Θεραπεία Οικογένειας/ CBT Οικογενειακή Θεραπεία" εμβαθύνοντας στην αξία της ψυχοεκπαίδευσης ως ψυχοθεραπευτική διαδικασία με εύρος εφαρμογών τόσο σε σοβαρές σωματικές νόσους όσο και σε μείζονες ψυχικές διαταραχές που απευθύνονται στο άτομο και στην οικογένεια. Στο πλαίσιο της πρακτικής του άσκησης, συνεργάστηκε και με διάφορες μη κυβερνητικές οργανώσεις, όπου συνέχισε την εθελοντική του δραστηριότητα παρέχοντας συμβουλευτική γονέων, συμμετέχοντας σε αθλητικές δράσεις, ψυχοκινητικές δραστηριότητες και ομάδες συζήτησης με τα παιδιά που προωθούν την καλή ψυχική υγεία και την κοινωνική τους ενσωμάτωση. Ακόμα, έχει συμμετάσχει σε διάφορα project στο πλαίσιο ευρωπαϊκών προγραμμάτων (Όσλο, Βαλένθια, Μαρακές) με θεματικές που αφορούν την προώθηση της ψυχικής υγείας και την πρόληψη φαινομένων, όπως οι διακρίσεις, η βία, η περιθωριοποίηση και ο στιγματισμός. Τα τελευταία δυο χρόνια επεκτείνει τις υπηρεσίες του ως ιδιώτης, προσφέροντας διαδικτυακές συνεδρίες στα ελληνικά σε εφήβους και ενήλικες. Παράλληλα, το τελευταίο διάστημα εργάζεται και στον Ε.Ο.Π.Α.Ε. (Ειδικός Οργανισμός Πρόληψης και Αντιμετώπισης Εξαρτήσεων), συμμετέχοντας στην υποστήριξη ατόμων με εξαρτήσεις (αλκοόλ, ουσίες, τζόγος,διαδίκτυο) μέσω ψυχοθεραπευτικής παρέμβασης, ψυχοεκπαίδευσης και διεπιστημονικής συνεργασίας με άλλους επαγγελματίες ψυχικής υγείας, στοχεύοντας στην ενίσχυση της ανθεκτικότητας και της κοινωνικής επανένταξης των ωφελούμενων.

Liotiri Sofia is a Psychiatrist - Psychotherapist and maintains a private practice in Katerini. She holds a degree in Medicine from the University of Hamburg and in Biology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She specialized in Psychiatry/Psychotherapy at university clinics in Hamburg and Cologne (Asklepios Klinikum Ochsenzol & LVR Klinik Köln) and has worked as a Senior Physician in major psychiatric hospitals and clinics in Hamburg, Frankfurt, and Cologne (Heinrich Sengelmann Kliniken Fachkrankenhaus für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Asklepios Klinik für psychische Gesundheit Langen, Furtbachkrankenhaus Stuttgart). Additionally, she has served as a Scientific Collaborator/Expert for the Civil Courts of Hamburg and the Public Health Service of the City of Frankfurt.