Meet Nataša Vasić, the president of Ansuza, a psychologist and hypnotherapist

Dear readers,

Our guest is Nataša Vasić, the president of the Ansuz association, whose main focus is working with talented and gifted individuals.

Editorial of SUS: Personal profile, please introduce yourself in a few sentences.

Natasha Vasic:

By profession, I am a counseling psychologist. Over the past 10 years, I have completed numerous courses, workshops, and training programs covering various areas of psychology. Since 2012, I have independently, as well as in collaboration with many individuals and organizations, organized workshops on psychological topics aimed at making psychology and the opportunities it offers more accessible to interested individuals. I also help participants better understand themselves and utilize that knowledge for personal and professional development and advancement. I have been engaged in psychological counseling for many years, and in recent years, I have also been involved in hypnosis for therapeutic purposes.

Editorial of SUS: Could you tell us more about the ANZUS association?

Natasha Vasic:

The Ansuz Association, whose main focus is working with talented and gifted individuals, was founded in 2013. Our goal is to create a talent database that will be available on our website, including as many individuals as possible who achieve above-average results in any field.

Our idea is to secure resources that will allow us to provide these users with free services in the form of seminars and training in life and business skills, psychological counseling and guidance, as well as fundraising for the realization of their ideas, so that we can help them achieve their maximum potential.

Additionally, within the association, we organize lectures, seminars, and courses on various topics that are available to all interested parties. Some of the topics we have covered so far include psychological manipulation, psychological interpretation of dreams, career planning, cybersecurity and anonymity on the internet, art therapy, anger management, nonverbal communication, applied hypnosis, and autogenic training.

Editorial of SUS: What is your idea for the personal development of people and their education?

Natasha Vasic:

The foundation of education is self-work. Once, our wise people said that all education is in vain if a person lacks proper upbringing. The lifestyle of today imposes a necessary mental hygiene. We are witnessing rapid changes and double standards at every turn. On one hand, a message is sent that everything is allowed, while on the other hand, there are judgments. In all of this, the system of values has completely disappeared. Year by year, more and more demands are placed on young people regarding education; more skills are needed for a person to secure their “place in the sun” in the job market, and unfortunately, in our country, there are fewer and fewer opportunities for that. The period of adolescence has extended far beyond the timeline for starting a family. Young people get lost in all of this and forget who they really are, what truly interests and makes them happy, and what they have accepted while chasing trends and success, adhering to written and unwritten rules.

Sadly, among the numerous trends that come to us from the West, the slowest one concerns mental hygiene. There is still a widespread belief that only “crazy” people go to psychologists; however, the greatest benefit from visiting a psychologist can be gained by ambitious, educated, and intelligent individuals who want to fully realize their potential. Psychotherapy is not, as the prevailing opinion suggests, a process of healing, but rather a process of re-education, learning new skills, and self-discovery, which is fundamental education that serves as the basis for all other education. Good foundations are the basis on which everything else can be easily built. When a person who loves themselves knows what they want and enjoys what they learn and do, they are simply destined for success.

Editorial of SUS: Tell us your opinion on psychological manipulation and how it is used for business purposes.

Natasha Vasic:

To begin with, it is essential to understand what this term means and what it encompasses. First, we need to extract manipulation from the negative context that is often associated with it. The word “manipulation” itself denotes skillful handling. Like everything else, it can be used for both good and bad purposes—it’s all up to us. In the process of raising children, the use of manipulation is inevitable. We all manipulate much more than we think because manipulation occurs at an unconscious level almost constantly. When we reward someone or simply offer praise to a person who has done something we like in order to reinforce that behavior, we are actually manipulating.

Women are more prone to manipulation as they are naturally about six times more skilled at it than men. This is a natural balance, or a female response to the greater physical readiness and strength in men. The most subtle form of manipulation is the so-called “subliminal” manipulation, as it operates below the threshold of our sensitivity. For example, there are scents that we cannot consciously register, but our subconscious does. This principle also applies to the attraction between men and women. We perceive subtle scents from those around us and based on that, we assess how compatible we are, how healthy the other person is, and how suitable they are for reproduction.

The most common example of subliminal manipulation is the insertion of an additional frame into a video that the eye cannot register, but our subconscious does and absorbs the message. This type of marketing is prohibited, but it cannot be said that it is not in use. Manipulation for business purposes is unavoidable. Large corporations pay attention to every single detail. If you pay attention, you will notice that the majority of companies dealing with products for children (toys, sweets, etc.) use a combination of red and yellow colors. This is because yellow affects memory, while red evokes strong emotions. Banks and insurance companies almost universally use the color blue, as it creates a sense of trust.

Women who wear a scarf around their necks to a job interview leave a better impression, and recently, this fashion accessory has become a part of the uniform in some banks and insurance companies. When writing a CV, the combination of colors can be crucial for whether the person conducting the selection decides to invite you for an interview. Body language, the combination of fashion details, and the choice of words influence the employer’s decision far more than what is actually said. These topics are discussed in more detail in workshops: Preparing for a Job Interview, Body Language, and Psychological Manipulation.

Editorial of SUS: Tell us something about your workshop “Dream Analysis”?

Natasha Vasic:

Freud had good reason to say that “dreams are the royal road to the unconscious.” Through the psychological interpretation of dreams, the psychotherapy process can be significantly accelerated and improved. The “Dream Analysis” workshop is designed to promote the significance of dreams for everyday life and functioning, and to enable those who wish to understand the meaning of their own dreams. The workshop takes place in small groups and is intended for anyone interested, regardless of age or profession.

Participants learn a very interesting and applicable technique for dream analysis that allows them to gain better understanding and new insights into everything happening in their lives. In the workshop, participants become familiar with the “secret” language of dreams, which represents the unconscious, wiser part of our personality and possesses much more knowledge and information than the conscious part. Thus, it is a powerful tool for supporting decision-making and can provide answers to questions and solutions to problems that trouble you.

When you understand your dreams, you have the ability to achieve a much greater degree of control over your own life and to make wiser and more informed decisions. Group dream analysis allows participants to work on themselves through their own dreams and the dreams of other group members, gaining a fuller insight into their actions, thought processes, and goals, leading to more successful personal and social functioning. Group dream analysis facilitates inner growth and enhances the individuation process, through which a person becomes what they are according to their potentials. Dreams are the language of our subconscious, and in the workshop, people learn to decipher this language and establish a better connection with themselves.

Editorial of SUS: Tell us more about hypnotherapy and the hypnosis course?

Natasha Vasic:

Hypnosis is an ancient skill, with the earliest records found among the Sumerians in the 4th century BC. Just like the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman priests, the Sumerians used hypnosis for therapeutic purposes. This skill has always been mystified, and knowledge about it was transmitted only to the chosen few, creating an ideal foundation for prejudice. Hypnotherapy is still relevant today and is used in many countries for therapeutic purposes in clinics, but prejudices about it persist as well.

It is believed that hypnosis is an unconscious state in which a person can be completely controlled and turned into a puppet. Such a thing, of course, is not possible. Hypnosis is a state that we all experience at least twice a day — when we fall asleep and when we wake up. A person in hypnosis is awake and self-aware, in a pleasant state of mental and physical relaxation, with awareness narrowed and focused on suggestions agreed upon before the session begins. A person cannot be controlled, as they only accept suggestions that resonate with them and for which they are ready; thus, the success of therapy depends on the person’s willingness to change. Therefore, it is not possible to achieve anything forcefully or if a person is only partially willing to change.

Another widespread prejudice is that people with weak willpower are the easiest to hypnotize, which is also untrue. For someone to be hypnotized, they must be determined, capable of concentrating, and possess a vivid imagination. Very few people cannot be hypnotized, and those include individuals with below-average intelligence and those with severe mental disorders.Of course, there are individual differences, so some people are easier to hypnotize than others, and some can be led into deeper hypnosis than others. The success of a hypnotic session primarily depends on the person’s motivation for the desired change, their freedom from fear, and their trust in the hypnotherapist. Hypnotherapy is a very powerful tool for creating positive changes and is one of the fastest and most effective ways to acquire new knowledge. The fields of application for hypnotherapy are practically unlimited and, among other things, it is used for relieving anxiety, depression, and negative emotions; for quitting smoking, weight loss, overcoming all kinds of phobias and fears; for problems with insomnia and pain; and for addressing issues like nail-biting and bedwetting. Hypnosis is effective for improving memory and concentration, self-confidence, working on self-discipline, and achieving better results in school, sports, or work, as well as refreshing the earliest memories. Additionally, hypnotherapy is used around the world for the purpose of recalling memories from past lives.

In the hypnosis course, all the techniques necessary for successfully practicing hypnosis are taught. The work is done in small groups as 80% of the course is based on practical work, including exercises and techniques. The course lasts for 3 days (a total of 18 hours), after which participants come for supervision once they have practiced the techniques at home and have additional questions. The course fee includes all necessary materials, supervision, and a certificate of completion.

Editorial SUS: Tell us more about autogenic training.

Natasha Vasic:

Autogenic training is a modern, scientifically proven method recognized by psychologists and psychotherapists, designed to combat stress and its numerous associated psychophysiological effects. This therapeutic technique is inspired by Eastern philosophy, yoga, and meditation.

Once the exercises are mastered for independent use, they only take a few minutes and can be applied in most situations—while walking, before important events, during stressful situations, before sleep, on airplanes, in public transport, waiting rooms, or at work. A 5-6 minute exercise can replace approximately 3 hours of sleep.

Autogenic training is primarily used in the treatment of stress, tension, anxiety, fear, and psychosomatic illnesses. Recent research indicates that stress is a direct and indirect cause of many modern diseases.

This technique is also utilized by completely healthy individuals for relaxation, achieving better concentration, enhancing creativity, developing imagination, increasing stamina and readiness for work, as well as improving memory. It is especially beneficial for students who manage to maintain an intense learning pace during exam periods.

The goal of the course is to master the exercises, which can then be independently used in situations when the practitioner feels the need. In addition to the exercises, the course covers topics such as stress, anxiety, sleep, and emotion management.

The training consists of a total of 10 sessions lasting one hour each, organized either once a week or every other week, depending on the group’s agreement.

Editorial SUS: Your business plans for the future?

Natasha Vasic:

My primary and constantly valid plan for the future, which is always at the top of my list, is: self-improvement. This is the foundation of success and satisfaction. As for my business plans, my intention is to continue with all the activities I have been involved in so far, and I also have a book in the works that will bring psychological interpretations of dreams closer to a wider audience. It will include a historical overview of dreams, stories about scientific and non-scientific interpretations of dreams, discussions about common symbols in dreams, and techniques for scientific dream interpretation.

Editorial SUS: What would you recommend to younger generations?

Natasha Vasic:

Many successful and wise people often offer valuable messages to the youth, but the problem is that young people tend to take the path of least resistance and look up to figures who are most present in the media, from whom they can hear nothing of real value or wisdom. Everything has already been said; I would advise young people to turn to educated and successful individuals, as well as the gems of world literature, philosophy, and science as their role models. In combination with effort and hard work, success and satisfaction will surely follow. This may sound more complicated and strenuous than a constant party and having fun—because that lifestyle is an ideal for most young people—but it is the only path that leads to true and lasting fulfillment.