Tereza Růžičková

In 2018, I completed my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology at University of Oxford. This subject greatly expanded my understanding of the human mind – especially the ways in which it can break during clinical disorders. I already had a significant interest in mental health, having co-founded the charity Nevypust Dusi, but I wanted to deepen my knowledge further. As a result, I pursed a PhD in psychiatric research in the lab of Professor Catherine Harmer, where I researched novel forms of depression treatment. This was extremely fulfilling, especially as I got to conduct projects relating to mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, I successfully defended my thesis and embarked on a self-employed career of a psychologist. In the last few years, I have pre-dominantly worked as a scientific consultant as well as a therapist in private practice. As far as consultancy is concerned, I have provided scientific evaluation and clinical expertise to psychological startups such as VOS.health, Mind Ease and Thought Saver. This has been an enriching experience as I have not worked in a business setting before. Recently, I have been focusing my efforts more on providing mental health treatment, as I am enrolled in the Czech 5-year training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. I have found this extremely enjoyable and meaningful and I hope to continue in a therapist career for a long time. In my spare time, I love to dance salsa and bachata, practice yoga, have long conversations with loved ones and listen to the Psychology in Seattle podcast.