About Me

My story

How I came to this work

I was a Ukrainian refugee before I was a therapist. Having lived and worked across Ukraine, Montenegro, the Czech Republic, and the UK, I know firsthand what it means to rebuild a life in an unfamiliar place to navigate new systems, a new language, a new version of yourself.

Before training in psychotherapy, I co-ran a family business in tourism and photography. Photography taught me something I've carried into every session since: the importance of how you hold the frame. What you include, what you leave out, what you wait for. Each encounter is a meeting of human stories and the quality of that meeting depends entirely on the quality of presence you bring to it.

These experiences didn't just shape my empathy. They shaped my clinical thinking particularly around displacement, identity, and what it means to feel at home in yourself again.

How I work

What to expect from working together

I've been in practice since 2020, working as an integrative therapist with a foundation in CBT and drawing on person-centred, psychodynamic, schema, and mindfulness-based approaches. I work in a formulation-led way which means I don't apply a one-size-fits-all method, but build a picture of your specific situation and adapt the work accordingly.

Many of my clients are highly resilient, reflective people who have functioned well for years, yet find themselves exhausted or disconnected after prolonged exposure to unsafe systems or relationships. In such cases, therapy isn't about fixing something broken. It's about restoring inner coherence, trust, and a sense of agency.

I hold a deep respect for processes that cannot be rushed. Some healing happens through understanding; other parts unfold through presence, and allowing the body to recognise safety again.

I adapt therapy to each client’s needs, including those of neurodivergent adults, using a flexible and person-centred approach.

Languages & cultural background

Working across cultures

I offer therapy in three languages:

English

Credentials

Training & professional standing

I have particular experience working with Ukrainian and Russian-speaking communities, refugees and asylum seekers, people navigating displacement and migration trauma, and individuals affected by war and conflict. My MSc dissertation explored how cultural dimensions influence therapy satisfaction attunement to cultural context isn't an add-on in my work, it's foundational.

In practice since 2020

Integrative therapist with a CBT foundation

If something here resonated, I'd be glad to hear from you.