About family therapy
Family therapy works with several members together to improve communication, resolve conflicts and support everyone through changes such as separations, illness or adolescence.
Social workers support people and families in difficult situations: access to social and health resources, dependency, family conflicts, addictions or social exclusion. They coordinate with public services and other professionals.
Getting mental health care in Serbia
How to check that a professional is licensed
- Ministry responsible for social protection, under the Law on the Conditions for Performing Psychological Activity (Official Gazette RS 25/96, 101/2005); ethics code issued by the Psychological Society of Serbia (Društvo psihologa Srbije). Psychological activity may be carried out by a psychology graduate who has passed the state professional exam, and some tasks require a specialisation. There is no psychologists' chamber or public licence register, so ask for the diploma and professional exam certificate.
- Serbian Medical Chamber (Lekarska komora Srbije). Doctors, including psychiatrists, need a licence from the Medical Chamber, which can be suspended or withdrawn. The Chamber publishes a list of licensed doctors.
Urgent help in Serbia
If your life or someone else's is in danger, call the emergency number now. These services can help at any time:
- 194 · Ambulancia (Хитна помоћ)
- 0800 309 309 · Национална СОС линија за превенцију самоубиства
Information reviewed in November 2026 · Sources: minrzs.gov.rs, kurir.rs, 021.rs
Signs to look out for
Every family goes through tension. Family therapy may help when conflict is constant or very intense, communication has broken down, a child’s difficulties are straining everyone, members feel stuck in the same patterns, or the family is struggling to adapt to a change such as a separation, a new partner, illness, migration, a loss or a child leaving home.
What helps: treatments and professionals
Systemic family therapy looks at relationships and patterns rather than blaming one person. Approaches with evidence include structural and strategic family therapy, family-based treatment for adolescent eating disorders, multisystemic and functional family therapy for behaviour problems, and parent training. Family therapists, psychologists and social workers with systemic training usually lead the work, sometimes alongside individual therapy.
When to seek urgent help
If there is violence at home, a child or adult is being harmed, or someone is afraid for their safety, contact your local emergency services or specialised protection services. Safety comes before family therapy. Seek urgent help too if any family member talks about suicide, has harmed themselves seriously, or is at risk of harming others.
What you can do in the meantime
Set aside calm times to talk, and try to listen to understand rather than to reply. Agree on a few household rules together and keep them consistent. Avoid involving children in adult conflicts. Make room for enjoyable shared moments, even short ones. If tensions run high, take breaks before continuing a discussion. Each person looking after their own well-being also helps the family.
What does a social worker do?
A social worker supports individuals, families and communities facing social, economic or relational difficulties. Day to day they assess needs, inform people about their rights and available resources, help with applications, coordinate with health, education, housing and legal services, and accompany people through crises. Some offer counselling or family intervention, especially in mental health, child protection, ageing and disability settings.
When to see a social worker
A social worker can help when practical problems add to emotional strain: caring for a dependent relative, financial or housing difficulties, isolation, a separation affecting children, a disability, or navigating services after a diagnosis. They are also key when there is risk of abuse or neglect. For psychological therapy itself, a psychologist or psychotherapist is usually more appropriate.
How to choose
When choosing, check the licence and training, the approach they use and whether they have experience with what you need. Consider practical aspects too: language, price, location or online sessions and availability. The relationship with the professional matters a great deal; if after a few sessions it does not feel right, it is fine to change.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check that a social worker is licensed in Serbia?
Ministry responsible for social protection, under the Law on the Conditions for Performing Psychological Activity (Official Gazette RS 25/96, 101/2005); ethics code issued by the Psychological Society of Serbia (Društvo psihologa Srbije): Psychological activity may be carried out by a psychology graduate who has passed the state professional exam, and some tasks require a specialisation. There is no psychologists' chamber or public licence register, so ask for the diploma and professional exam certificate.