What is my role for Let’s Talk?

I'm a Mental Health Project Worker at Let's Talk

What is my relevant experience?

I have more than 10 years of experience working as a psychologist and art therapist with children and youth. And I really love my speciality and feel I am at the right place in life. I am happy to have experience working on different projects and organisations. I will briefly describe some of them.

I graduated from the V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University in Psychology in 2010 (master’s degree). I have also completed art therapy courses, working with trauma courses, a coaching program (Erickson Coaching International ICF), Kathatym Imaginative Psychotherapy (KIP), Orff pedagogy (Music for children approach), Kanis-therapy, sand play therapy, international child development program ICDP and other educational psychological programs.

Since 2014 together in a team with colleagues, I was leading therapeutical groups and one-to-one sessions for children and youth, also groups for parents and art therapeutical groups for women in the Ukrainian-Polish project Arte Centrum “Fragmenti” Kharkiv, Ukraine. I worked also as a crisis psychologist on many projects with Ukrainian refugees and vulnerable people (child and youth groups, families) at the Kharkiv foundation of psychological research.

I made a training program for developing social skills for teenagers and youth with the GOIT organisation. I provided counselling and groups of support for families who have adopted children. I had the honour to work as a coordinator of groups for children and youth who experienced loss in the Kharkiv region and work together with colleagues in a Ukrainian project “Rodynne Kolo”. As well as collaborate with the Norwegian clinic Akkershus working with hard loss and helping in adaptation manuals. I have worked also in a Kharkiv University clinic as an art therapist delivering one-to-one and group art therapy sessions to patients.

I had a private practice delivering one-to-one sessions to children and youth as well. I am a member of professional associations such as; the Ukrainian psychotherapy association, the art therapy association, the association of child and family psychologists and the association of specialists working with trauma. 
I am a trainer of art therapy courses for psychologists and mental health specialists for more than 10 years, a trainer of a course working with bereavement and loss for psychologists, and supporting kids and youth who had experienced loss in their life. I take part in psychological and art therapeutical conferences as a speaker.

What I like to do when I’m not working?

I love travelling and exploring new places and cultures as well as finding some hiding gams in the local area, I like spending time in nature observing sea waves, walking forest roads, hiking the mountains or enjoying country parks. I love spending time with family and friends. One of my favourite things to do is play with my children or read them storybooks that give us lots of joy. Also, I love physical activities such as cycling, swimming, dancing, yoga classes etc. And one of my hobbies since childhood is drawing and making art. I feel it calming and relaxing way to express my feelings and boost my creativity, my favourite materials, for now, are watercolours and acrylic paints.

We used Johari’s Window which is a method to explore our qualities. We asked friends, family, colleagues, and young people to tell us what they think too. Here is mine: