Psychotherapy Education and Clinical Experience:
I am a Graduate of the Gestalt Institute of Toronto (2002 – 2006). The 4-year Professional Training Program in Gestalt Therapy provided me with a solid theoretical and experiential foundation for my work as a therapist and a group facilitator.I practice therapy since graduation and fulltime since 2007, offering one-on-one, couple, family and group therapy. I have provided over 1000 hours of treatment to people struggling with depression, anxiety, relationship issues, sex and gender roles, low self-esteem, grief and bereavement, immigration/culture shock, difficult life transitions etc.
I am committed to my professional growth. I continue my education through workshops and courses in different psychotherapeutic approaches and methodologies. I have studied EMDR, Transactional Analysis, Object Relations, Perennial Philosophy and Transpersonal Therapy, Integral Theory and Spiral Dynamics, Vipassana and Zen Meditation, Mindfullness-based stress-reduction technique and Psychosynthesis. While I integrate various ideas, approaches and experiential components into my work, I continue to be a Gestalt Therapist most and foremost.
My work is supervised by a Registered Psychologist.
I am a member of the Canadian Association for Psychodynamic Therapy and of the Canadian Association for Humanistic and Transpersonal Therapy.
Other Education
I hold M.Sc. degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from Moscow Technical University. It means that I spent six formative years of my youth (17 to 23) studying Mathematics. These studies disciplined my mind, and taught me to approach every problem creatively, systemically and systematically. They gave me an opportunity to develop lateral thinking, and the ability to see several perspectives at once.After receiving my degree, and some soul-searching, I changed directions and studied Developmental Psychology at the Institute for History and Theory of Pedagogics (1986 -1993). During that time I published several scientific papers on the development of cognitive styles in pre-adolescents.
Life Experience
Before I started my transition to the profession of psychotherapy in my early 40s, I had a rich, eventful, often painful, and sometimes exciting life.Privileged to live through times of great social change and then immigration, I know about life uncertainties and difficult transitions from personal experience.
I have 20 years of corporate business experience, in consulting and management roles, and experience of starting and running my own business.