I joined Feniks in 2022 as a volunteer and from July 2023 as a Ukrainian Mental Health Worker.

I have more than 10 years’ experience working as a psychologist and art therapist with children and youth. I am happy to have had the honour to work in different international projects and organisations. I will briefly describe some of them.

Since the beginning of the war I’ve been working as a Ukrainian Mental Health Project Worker with children and young people at Let’s Talk CIC, Edinburgh, giving mental health support to young people who needed it. And also as a volunteer at Feniks I have provided mental health group support via art for children and young people who have temporarily lived on Victoria 1 cruise ship.

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, coaching program (Erickson Coaching International ICF), Katathym Imaginative Psychotherapy (KIP), Orff pedagogy (Music for children approach), Kanis-therapy (work with therapeutic dogs), sand play therapy, international child development program ICDP and other educational psychological programs.

Since 2014 together with colleagues I have been leading therapeutic groups and one to one sessions for children and youth, also groups for parents and art therapeutic groups for women in Ukrainian-Polish project Arte Centrum “Fragmenti” Kharkiv, Ukraine. I worked also as a crisis psychologist in many projects with a Ukrainian refugee and vulnerable people (child and youth groups, families) in Kharkiv foundation of psychological research. I made a training program for developing social skills for teenagers and youth with GOIT organisation. I provided counselling and support groups 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 “RodynneKolo”, as well as collaborate with Norwegian clinic Akkershus working with hard loss and help 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 also ran a private practice delivering one to one sessions to children and youth as well.

I am a member of professional associations such as Ukrainian psychotherapy association, art therapy association, association of child and family psychologists and association of specialists working with trauma.

I have been 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, supporting kids and youth who had experienced loss in their life. I take part in psychological and art therapeutic conferences as a speaker.

When I am not working I love travelling and exploring new places and cultures as well as the local area. One of my hobbies since childhood has been drawing and making art. I feel it is a calming and relaxing way to express my feelings and boost my creativity. My favourite materials for now are watercolours and acrylic paints.