Dragana Mandic, PACFA - Therapist in Australia

Family and parenting
Trauma and attachment
Anxiety and stress

About Dragana

Dragana Mandic is a PACFA counsellor with ten years' experience supporting children, parents and individuals through stress, anxiety and family conflict. He focuses on helping people manage trauma, parenting challenges and depression using practical, evidence-informed methods. The tone in sessions is warm and collaborative, and Dragana aims to make therapy straightforward and useful.

He works with common family concerns such as separation, blended family issues and communication problems. He also helps people facing abandonment, attachment difficulties, adoption and foster care questions, and caregiver stress. People living with chronic illness, chronic pain or neurodiversity such as autism may also find practical strategies in his work.

Dragana draws on approaches including attachment-based therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and emotionally-focused work. Sessions tend to focus on building coping skills, improving emotional awareness and strengthening relationships. He adapts tools to the person in front of him rather than following a single method.

In practice, Dragana uses a child-inclusive perspective when relevant and offers parenting support rooted in everyday routines and clear communication techniques. He aims to help parents set boundaries, manage stress and support children after separation or other disruptions.

He offers counselling in English, Croatian and Serbian from Australia and works in a straightforward, respectful way. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule sessions according to his availability through the Start Therapy process.

Online approaches that focus on relationships and skills

Attachment-based therapy helps people understand patterns from early relationships and how these show up now. It can be useful for addressing attachment issues, abandonment concerns and relationship difficulties by increasing awareness of emotional needs and responses.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) focuses on the link between thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It teaches clear strategies to manage anxiety, low mood and stress, with practical exercises you can try between sessions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Dragana will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most helpful. Together you will decide which methods to use and adjust them as needs change, keeping the process collaborative and clear.

Please confirm current session options before booking, as specific formats are not listed here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also allow people to work with a therapist who speaks their language without relocating. If you want to proceed, complete the matching questionnaire and schedule according to the available times.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseParenting issuesDepression

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stress Chronic pain, illness, and disabilityCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHoardingImpulsivityIsolation / loneliness Life purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces Issues Money and financial issues Mood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSelf-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryVisually impairedWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

10+ years

Credentials

Australia

Languages

English, Croatian, Serbian

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does he help with?

He helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and family conflict. He also supports parents with separation, blended family issues and communication problems.

What is his therapeutic style like?

Sessions are warm, collaborative and practical. He focuses on skill building, emotional awareness and improving relationships.

How much experience does he have?

He has ten years' experience working in community and family service settings with children, parents and vulnerable people.

What credentials and location apply?

He is PACFA and practices from Australia. PACFA is shown as his credential in his profile.

Which languages are supported in sessions?

Sessions are offered in English, Croatian and Serbian.

Are international clients accepted?

International clients are not currently accepted.

How are fees and payments handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I begin working with him?

Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to his availability.