Cyber Policy Studies Affiliate Professor and Senior Research Fellow
Dr. Epp Laugaste-Poobus is an Estonian national with 20 years of experience as a clinical psychologist in Estonia, addressing all segments of society to include minors and prisoners. In this capacity, she has held senior roles supervising psychiatric personnel. She has expertise in conducting assessments of many subpopulations as well as various crises, to include rehabilitation efforts and special needs. She has worked as a psychologist in the private sector and the Estonian Ministry of Justice.
Epp has also been a lead trainer, coach, and supervisor in the Estonian Ministry of Social Services. In the llast several years she has lead team trainings on understanding and valuing multicultural inputs. Examples include: How to Build and Maintain Good Relations in a Team with Members of Different Ethnic Groups, Appreciative Look – Valuing Differences, and Work with others by Practicing Active Listening. Several of the grants and contracts she has supported in the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs and the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research focus on improving innovation and motivation for social service workers and educators.
Additionally, prior to her work as a psychologist, Epp held positions in various segments of Estonian radio and television as a journalist, news reporter, and as a design layout manager. She spent nearly 10 years in journalism and media in Estonia. In this communications capacity, she gathered and analyzed research, conducted interviews, and reported news to the public. Epp’s understanding of societies is further deepened by her work as an “Ethnic Data Collector and Researcher” at Pirgu Mälusektor in Estonia. There she collected, documented, and maintained historical transcripts and data related to ethnic stories, songs, and memories.
Epp is fluent in Estonian, Russian, and English. She holds both a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences – Psychology and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from the University of Tartu, Estonia. Additionally, she has been awarded a Level 7 Clinical Psychologist License from the Estonian Union of Psychologists (EPL) and a EurPsy License from the European Certificate in Psychology (EFPA). Her licenses have been valid since 2009. Additionally, Epp holds a Diploma in Journalism – News and Current Affairs from DeutcheWelle from Riga, Latvia.