Art Therapist and Psychologist
Hi!
I am Elena - Ukrainian Gestalt psychologist, ART therapist, certified NLP trainer, leader of therapeutic groups and projects with 11 years of practice.
I know from my own experience what it is like to loose your place, not understanding one's own behavior, to get stuck in emotional dependence, to be fed up with self-criticism, to avoid conflicts, to choose the wrong partners and to be drowned in anxiety and loneliness even when being among people. I have come a long way in therapy as a client (7 years + still supporting), many educational programs and intensives, to rely now not only on my expertise, but also on humanity.
I know how to create close and caring relationships, and at the same time I will honestly help you see why exactly you still cannot reach the state you strive for, and how you can get out of this vicious circle.
I currently live in Portugal with my Brazilian husband and a young son. Therefore, I also can be helpful in the topics of emigration, adaptation to another culture (especially in an international family), motherhood and finding support.
You can come to me both in a consultation format (4-12 sessions) (where the focus is on a specific problem or when crisis support is needed), and in long-term therapy (from 1 year) (where the focus is on the quality of life and your personality).
I work in an integrative approach. Mainly on the principles of Gestalt therapy, where the focus of attention is in the here and now, on awareness of your experiences and strategies, how you build relationships and satisfy your needs. During the session, I can offer experiments and exercises with metaphorical cards, drawing, sand therapy. Depending on the context, I can recommend homework, but not after every consultation.
I WORK with topics: Family relationships , loss and grief, perinatal losses, anxiety, toxic relationships and codependency, unstable relationships (mistress role, emotionally cold partners), loneliness, emigration crises, role change crises (birth/loss of a child, new profession/dismissal), self-esteem and self-worth, fear of conflicts, uncontrolled outbursts of anger/hysteria, parent-child relationships, hypercontrol, creative crises, etc. (you can specify in messages)
I DO NOT work: with relatives of my clients, with topics of eating disorders, alcohol and chemical addiction, with people with schizophrenia and experience of psychotic episodes, as well as with military personnel who need help after combat experience.
Honesty and care are important to me.
I believe that truly high-quality changes cannot occur under pressure. The more demanding we are of ourselves, the more we compare ourselves to others, the more we want to defend ourselves. And then the process of change drags on for an infinite number of years. It is impossible to tell ourselves the truth - what I want, what is valuable to me, what hurts me. Under pressure (especially internal), honesty disappears, and therefore the chance of self-knowledge disappears.
I believe in love. Love as a form of support, when you can be gentle and silent. Love as a force, where you can fall apart, get angry, get confused... And not run away. I believe in love of life. Despite everything that makes you give up. And in love to people. Starting with yourself
I invite you to get to know me! Sometimes with humor and definitely with support and lively energy, I know how to build strong relationships with clients, for which people regain their strength and desire
- Ivan Franko National University of Lviv in 2018
- National Association of Gestalt Therapists of Ukraine in 2026
- Gestalt therapy with children and family certificate since 2026
- Ninth Ukrainian Gestalt Conference on Addictive Behavior certificate since 2025
- Psychiatry for psychologists certificate since 2025
- Gestalt Intensive NAGTU “Space of Relationships” certificate since 2025
- Leading Gestalt groups certificate since 2024
- XVII All-Ukrainian Gestalt Conference certificate since 2021
- Theory and practice of ART therapy certificate since 2019
- NLP Coaching Course (NLP and Developmental Programs Coach) certificate since 2015
- NLP Master Course (NLP Master/Practitioner) certificate since 2014
