About Amy
I am a UK-trained BACP-registered psychotherapist offering online therapy to couples, families, and individuals who:
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live as foreigners in their country of residence, and have struggled with finding a sense of home;
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are overwhelmed with feelings of anger, isolation, sadness, regret, resentment, jealousy, or low self-esteem;
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have experienced relational and/or sexual trauma;
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struggle with the expression of emotions;
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feel stuck in their life and/or are facing a life crisis.
Having spent my entire adult life away from my country of birth (Russia, Spain, France), and worked with people of different backgrounds and religious faiths, my therapeutic approach involves a deep awareness of how language, dislocation, and culture affect us. I carry an awareness in my work of the unique experiences and challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ community, and honour each person's unique identity and journey.
I believe that psychotherapy can offer a remarkable foundation for change, and for healing from a whole range of traumatic experiences. It begins with the relationship between therapist and client, which I see as a collaboration, and a place of deep listening. The therapist listens deeply to the client, in turn encouraging the client to listen deeply to themselves. Together, we embark on a journey of making sense of your past and present experiences, your thoughts and feelings. The same approach is used in couples and family work, where space is given to each member of the couple or family to be heard and to explore their experience of the relationship, their past, and their feelings, in a way that feels safe and opens up the possibility for dialogue and change.
Our goal in therapy is to empower you to make changes where necessary and possible, and to find the capacity within yourself to live the life you have always dreamt of. 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 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, the body is an invaluable entry way to healing.
A note on my research interest: From 2020 to 2024 I worked on my doctoral research into sexual grooming in the adolescent years, and how this experience affects the individual into adulthood. During this time, I studied different forms of childhood maltreatment, and also investigated how various schools of psychotherapy approach the concept of relational and sexual trauma. I have contributed papers and a chapter on the subject, and am currently working on collaborations in the field.
Qualifications
Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, Middlesex University, London (2018 to date)
PGDip in Existential Psychotherapy, Middlesex University, London (2021)
BSc in Psychology (1st class honours), Open University (2009-2012)
Certificate in Existential Life Coaching, 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, France (9/20 to date)
Dilemma Consultancy, London (9/20 to 2/22)
Hestía Psychotherapy Clinic, Barcelona (9/19 to 7/21)