Dr Vesna Trenoska
Award for Excellent PhD Thesis in Psychology

Award type: Science 

Dr Vesna Trenoska completed her PhD at the University of Technology Sydney under the guidance of Associate Professor Bethany Wootton, Professor Toby Newton-John, and Dr Sarah McDonald through the UTS Telepsych Lab. Recognising the myriad of challenges individuals face in accessing psychological care, Vesna has dedicated her research and practice to developing remote and brief interventions for the treatment of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Vesna’s research focuses on bridging the gap between traditional psychological interventions and individuals facing logistical, stigma-based, and financial barriers.

Her program of research has provided evidence suggesting that CBT delivered via videoconferencing technologies, particularly in brief formats, can address identified barriers to accessing care for individuals with GAD, while maintaining the benefits of one-on-one individualised care. These results have led to publications in peer-reviewed journals including, the Journal of Clinical Psychology and the British Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Vesna hopes that her research will contribute to necessary changes in practice and public policy that ultimately result in improved access to evidence-based treatment for individuals suffering from this impairing and distressing chronic condition. Accordingly, she recently established Trenoska Psychology, a private practice focused on delivering psychological treatment exclusively via telehealth for anxiety and other psychological disorders.