About me
I lived in 3 different countries throughout my formative years which has inspired in me a love for multiculturalism, open-heartedness, resilience, and a passion for helping people heal.
I am empathetic, direct, and have an ability to make people feel at ease. I lead with curiosity, a non-judgmental attitude, and a desire to help foster a more authentic and fulfilling life. I truly love what I do.
I hold a masters degree in counseling psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute with an emphasis in depth psychology. My love for working with stories, exploring myths and archetypal significance found in our lives began here.
As I developed professionally, I shifted my attention to body-oriented psychotherapies like somatic experiencing. While talk therapy was beneficial, I found it often wasn't sufficient on its own.
Creativity and self-expression are central values in my practice. Accordingly, I provide a range of therapeutic modalities to facilitate personal exploration, including authentic movement, dance-movement therapy, art creation, and sand tray therapy.
I am an LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist. Additionally, I am genuinely respectful and considerate of all different sexual and gender identities, cultures, ethnicities, and faiths.
Outside of the therapy room, I am a dancer, meditator, hiker, an explorer and a lover of animals.
“The essence of therapy is in making clients feel deeply known as they really are and deeply accepted as they really are” – David G. Martin
My Approach
Every person has a unique set of dynamics, experiences, and diversity that make up who they are. The nuances and the reasons why people come to therapy are as diverse as the people themselves. Thus, I use an eclectic approach to create an individualized treatment plan with the client’s goals in mind.
I am a trauma informed therapist who works with the principles of harm reduction.
I am a somatic psychotherapist which means that I help people reconnect with their bodies and understand their experiences from the lens of their whole self. We often have a thought or a feeling and act without knowing what led us to those responses. I teach clients how to listen to their autonomic nervous system to enhance awareness which is an essential ingredient in learning to self-regulate. With awareness comes understanding and with understanding comes choice. Then together we explore how to turn towards the nervous system, bringing curiosity and compassion to the experience instead of judgement and criticism.
I also draw from my interest, knowledge, and experience with somatic experiencing, EMDR, depth psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, imago relationship therapy, dance movement therapy and eco-therapy.
Contact me
If you would like to explore how I might be able to support you, please contact me by phone, email, or using the contact form below.
sivashov.natalya@gmail.com
818-722-9314