Dr. Zvonka Jakopovic

Dr. Zvonka Jakopovic is a licensed professional counselor with three decades of clinical experience. She earned graduate degrees in marriage and family counseling and has provided both individual and group counseling in many settings. People often call her Dr. J, and she brings a calm, steady presence to sessions.

Her work focuses on everyday problems like stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and anger. She also helps people facing trauma, relationship strain, addiction concerns, and changes tied to caregiving or illness. The tone in her work is practical and down-to-earth, aimed at helping people manage tough feelings and situations.

In sessions she uses a mix of approaches including client-centered techniques, cognitive behavioral methods, and narrative work. These methods are used to identify unhelpful patterns, test new ways of responding, and reframe personal stories that get in the way of feeling better.

She brings experience with relationship concerns and communication problems and uses elements of the Gottman Method when appropriate. She also addresses issues tied to aging, end-of-life concerns, immigration stress, and caregiver strain. This makes her familiar with a wide range of life transitions.

Her language options include English, Croatian, and Serbian, and she accepts clients from outside the United States. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule sessions based on her availability.

Approaches that translate to online work

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and understanding a person's experience. It helps people feel heard and clarify what they want to change. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts and actions keep problems going and teaches clear, practical skills to shift those patterns. Narrative therapy helps people examine the stories they tell about themselves and try out different ways of framing their life events.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, personal needs, and preferences, then recommend methods to try. This is a collaborative process and can change as work progresses.

The profile does not list specific session formats, so confirm available options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow flexible scheduling around work or caregiving. It can also let people use shorter check-ins when a full session is not needed and avoid camera use when that feels better. Licensed professionals adapt techniques like CBT worksheets, narrative exercises, and client-centered reflection to work effectively in remote sessions.