About Amy
Born in London, I have lived in Moscow (14 years), Barcelona (3 years), the French Alps (3 years) and now near Paris, and feel privileged to have worked with people from all over the world. In March and April 2020, I accompanied my clients through extreme Covid-19 confinement in Barcelona – a truly life-changing experience. Since the war in Ukraine, I have been working with Ukrainian refugees in person. I have a particular interest in working with the effects of sexual trauma and childhood emotional neglect.
My practice languages are English and Russian.
I believe strongly that therapy is first and foremost a relationship of deep listening and understanding. Existential Psychotherapy is my primary school of training: I find its focus on understanding anxiety, searching for personal meaning and self-understanding, and embracing freedom and responsibility really works. I am also trained in psychodynamic, CBT, mindfulness, couples and systemic psychotherapy, and am a qualified life coach, and I draw on each of these elements in my work. My systemic background has given me the capability to work with families and adolescents, a part of my practice that I enjoy enormously. I also love working with couples and running groups, creating a safe space where we can learn to relate to each other and show vulnerability with openness and without judgment.
I am a qualified yoga teacher, meaning I will always pay attention to how you feel in your body, and ask about sleep, diet and exercise. When the mind struggles to explore painful experiences, I find the body is an invaluable entry way to healing. My background in literature makes me highly attuned to the way we communicate the narrative of our lives, and how this affects our feelings, thoughts and life choices. I love working with creative people – both harnessing creativity for healing and working through inevitable creative blocks. I also work with people experiencing career crises.
I have a deep interest in trauma work, and my doctoral research looks at the effects of teenage sexual grooming on mental health into adulthood. I have experience with a wide range of presenting issues (including anxiety, social anxiety, addictions, experiences of sexual abuse, harassment, grooming and violence, childhood emotional neglect, life and career crises, complex PTSD, depression, problems with sexual intimacy, OCD, low self esteem and panic disorder).
I am in ongoing supervision with Anastasia Piatakhina-Giré in Paris, am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and a graduate member of the British Psychological Society. I am also a member of the Society of Existential Analysis. You can read about me on LinkedIn here.
Qualifications
Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, NSPC and Middlesex University, London (2018 to date)
PGDip in Existential Psychotherapy, NSPC and Middlesex University, London (2021)
BSc in Psychology (1st class honours), the Open University (2009-2012)
Certificate in Existential Life Coaching, NSPC and Middlesex University, London (2021)
Foundation Certificate in Psychotherapy, Counselling and Coaching, NSPC (2018)
MA in Modern Languages (Russian & French), Cambridge University (1996-2000)
Jivamukti Yoga Teacher, 300 hours (2012)
Yoga teacher training, Krishnamacharya Healing and Yoga Foundation (2008-2009)
Experience
Private practice, Orsay, France (October 2020 to date)
I see individual clients and couples online, and also run two weekly groups.
Dilemma Consultancy, London (September 2020 to February 2022)
Under the existential supervision of Prof Digby Tantam.
Hestía Psychotherapy Clinic, Barcelona (September 2019 to July 2021)
Weekly supervision and post-graduate systemic training.