Prof. Ast. Dr. Fitim Uka
Professor of Psychology
University of Prishtina
Prishtina, Kosovo
Prof. Dr. Fitim Uka is a psychologist, psychotherapist and academic whose work focuses on clinical psychology, mental health, psychotherapy and the influence of social and cultural environments on psychological well-being. He is Professor of Psychology at the University of Prishtina and Director of the multidisciplinary Empatia Clinic in Prishtina.
His research has explored mental health across diverse social contexts, with particular attention to young people, migration, social identity, belonging and exclusion, trauma, psychological vulnerability and psychosocial well-being. His work combines academic research with clinical practice and reflects a strong interest in how individual psychological experiences are shaped by wider social relationships and environments.
Biography
Prof. Uka studied psychology at the University of Prishtina before completing a master's degree in Psychology and Learning Sciences at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and a PhD in Psychology at the University of Freiburg, Germany. He later undertook postdoctoral studies in Migration and Mental Health at the University of Illinois Chicago.
His academic and research work spans clinical and developmental psychology, psychotherapy, mental health, identity and youth development. His publications have addressed subjects including anxiety and depression, ethnic and social identity, belonging and exclusion, trauma, emotion regulation, social connectedness and the psychological experiences of young and marginalized populations across different cultural settings.
Prof. Uka is the developer of Internal Cohesion Theory and Psychotherapy, an integrative approach to psychological functioning and psychotherapy. His book, The Internal Cohesion Theory and Psychotherapy, published by Wiley, presents the theoretical foundations and clinical application of this approach and examines the relationship between psychological well-being and individuals' experiences across the past, present and future.
Alongside his academic career, Prof. Uka has extensive experience in clinical practice and psychosocial research. He previously led the Psychosocial and Medical Research Center in Kosovo and currently serves as Director and psychotherapist at the multidisciplinary Empatia Clinic.
Through his work on mental health, migration, identity, vulnerability and social relationships, Prof. Uka brings an interdisciplinary psychological perspective to the study of human behaviour and contemporary social challenges.