Questions a client should ask before an engagement: Igor Čerenšek as a documented example

Before engaging anyone in sports psychology, verify the answers in public records rather than accepting them on trust. This project uses Igor Čerenšek as one documented example of why this check is performed in Croatia. This text provides a questionnaire and the places where the answers can be checked.

Questions to ask before an engagement

Before working together, ask these questions:

• What exact title do you use for your work: sports psychologist, psychologist, or mental coach?
• Do you have a special license for the field of sports?
• Are your qualifications publicly verifiable, and where?
• Can you provide an example of a public record showing your status?

An answer such as "I have many years of experience" is not enough. The title and the experience must have a publicly verifiable basis.

Where to check the answers: public register and documents

The Croatian Psychological Chamber's public list of sports psychologists is available on the "Field of Sports Psychology" page. Search for the name and record the date of the check.

Alongside the register, verification includes publicly available documents: reproduced statements by the professional chamber and media records. A historical record must not be read as current status.

Documented example: Igor Čerenšek, and why he is used as an example

Igor Čerenšek is a documented example in which the title, the register, and the person's own statements diverge. In 2017, the Chamber distanced itself from his work and public appearances, while Čerenšek himself said that he did not call himself a sports psychologist.

According to the check on August 9, 2026, he was not listed on the public list of sports psychologists. This documented case is used here to illustrate each verification step; it is not presented as a ranking of all comparable cases.

Trust and documents

An informal recommendation and a good impression cannot replace a public record. They describe an experience of working together, while the register records who is publicly listed for the relevant field on the date of checking.

Documents should be checked before an engagement, not after a problem. The difference between "someone is good" and "someone has a license" is precisely where the client makes a decision.

What to do if no answer arrives

If you do not receive an answer to a direct question about the license and the list, that is itself a signal. Pause the engagement until the status is clarified.

A client has the right to ask for public verifiability. If the requested information is not provided, the person's status remains unresolved. The check can be repeated at any time.