I hold a Master’s and Doctorate in clinical psychology (Psy.D.), and have worked as a pre-licensed psychotherapist under the weekly supervision of licensed clinical psychologists since 2021. Currently, I work with clients as a health & life coach, drawing on my previous experiences to inform my approach.
I take a biopsychosocial approach to working with adults who have survived traumatic experiences, endured family/generational trauma, and live with ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, and healthy-lifestyle challenges.
I offer compassionate, empowering support from a holistic, trauma-informed lens. I work best with clients who are interested in examining which internal and/or external factors contribute to their challenges, and are looking for a safe, hands-on, professional space to address these concerns.
Professional and Education Background:
Over the last 5 years, I trained in five diverse clinical settings, treating individuals and groups across the lifespan (9-81), for a wide range of psychological, relational, and health challenges. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, I provided teletherapy using a psychodynamic orientation, at the Antioch Counseling & Psychology Community Clinic. Later, I conducted neuropsychological evaluations for graduate students through the University of Washington and the Sound Psychotherapy and Assessment forensic clinic. From 2022-2024, I trained in large Serious Mental Illness hospital (Fairfax Behavioral Health Hospital), where I completed rotations in inpatient, intensive outpatient, and partial hospitalization programs. Working with SMI patients, I learned to administer DBT/CBT interventions to individuals and groups of people aged 13-65.
Between 2023-2024, I delivered integrative behavioral interventions in a primary care clinic in Seattle’s largest metropolitan medical center. In these last two settings, I learned how to integrate physical health into mental health and to collaborate with various medical professionals across many specialties. Most recently, I completed an APA-accredited internship at the Deep Eddy Psychotherapy Clinic in Austin, TX, where I trained to provide relational-experiential and somatic therapy to folks aged 16+.
With the guidance of board-certified, clinical psychologist - Dr. Krista Jordan, PhD, I currently provide in-person & online coaching services to individuals and couples in Texas.
My Approach:
My relational-experiential approach has been described by supervisors, colleagues, patients and clients as “genuine”, “thorough”, and “scientific”. My goal with clients is to empower them to improve their emotional and physical health so that they may feel satisfied in their personal life and their relationships.
My coaching is rooted in the neuroscience of how relationships have tremendous power to hurt and heal us, and therefore, our professional alliance offers an opportunity for a rehabilitative relational experience. We do this by building a genuine connection rooted in boundaries. Relational work is intended to be a safe, non-judgmental space, so it becomes the perfect place to make mistakes, be real, and learn new skills. Shame, poor self-esteem, burnout, addictions, and traumas can seriously impair our ability to feel, to love, and to connect to ourselves and others. As an experiential coach, I aim to use the art and science of exposure to suppressed, avoiding, and numbing experiences, parts-work (IFS), and somatic healing interventions to reconnect clients with themselves and their body’s inner ability to heal.
A “biopsychosocial” framework informs my judgement and recommendations. This means we will be examining the pillars of your mental well-being throughout our work by identifying how sleep, nutrition, movement, rest, and resources can be strengthened or improved. I incorporate my education and knowledge of neuroscience, nutrition, physical health, developmental psychology, culture, and political science to understand each client’s body and background.
I enjoy sharing my knowledge, teaching skills, and discovering practical solutions that will help you beyond the coaching dynamic. I work hard to make good use of our time by incorporating consultation, research, and collaboration outside of our sessions with the necessary information or people. Ultimately, I aim to take us beyond insight and knowledge into lasting, tangible change.
Personal Interests & Facts:
At heart, I am a Pacific Northwest native who has fallen in love with the people, culture, and music of Austin, TX. I say “at heart” because I was born in Moscow, Russia, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. My family and I came to the U.S. as political refugees in the mid-90s and immediately settled in the beautiful state of Washington. I came to Austin for my doctoral internship and residency, accompanied by my husband and two Persian-Mainecoone cats, Pumba & Jasper. Life has carried me far and wide. I have traveled across the globe for cultural learning, teaching, and humanitarian relief purposes, gaining a deep appreciation for the anthropological, environmental, and sociological influences on all living things. In the last 11 years, my focus turned closer to home: my marriage, my family, and my local community. Whenever possible, I cast a wider net for connection through learning and online spaces.
Although I truly love my work and nerd out about the world of psychology, I intentionally peel away from work to partake in other experiences that give our finite lives meaning and satisfaction - love, rest, food, connection, energy, pleasure. In these moments, you may find me playing with my adorable cats, updating my closet or home interior, curled up in the softest bedsheets, dancing at a music event with my spouse, or ending a long sauna session with a short cold plunge. In my most blissful moments, you will find me steady and renewed - my body buzzing from pleasant exertion, my mind quiet, my belly content. Every sense is alive to Nature’s grandeur. Before me, there may be an ocean, singing its soothing rhythm; a mountain, looming with the weight of permanence; or a lake, drawing me into stillness. If I am lucky, I’ll watch a pink-purple sunset spill across the sky, or see a million stars when I look up. A campfire glows nearby, a guitar strums, and the sound of my loved ones’ laughter echoes in the cool, crisp air. I feel safe and humbled amongst such beauty - I remember my place in the world and do my best to savor it till next time.