Founder of SomaticPsych.org, Elina is a somatic psychotherapist, providing talk-therapy that integrates the body, mind and spirit. Her approach is gentle yet deep, client-centered and non-pathologizing. Due to extensive traveling, she currently accepts applications for online sessions only.
A typical session contains conversation, which connects the issues discussed (whether past, present or future) to the here-and-now, as experienced by internal bodily sensations (interoception), and as seen by external body cues (gaze, energy levels, facial expressions, breathing patterns and body language). Specific bodily exercises may be experimented and prescribed to enhance the therapeutic process.
Elina has a M.A degree in Body-Mind-Spirit Psychotherapy from the department of Counseling and Human Development, in the University of Haifa in Israel (graduated with honors, magna cum laude). She is deeply committed to continuing her education in the field, with a special emphasis on the Bodynamic and Somatic Experiencing approaches, and to promoting the field of somatic psychotherapy as a whole for the bettering of our world.
Specialty areas:
Mental Health Issues: Stress, Generalized Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Nervous System Dysregulation, Social Anxiety, Loneliness/Isolation, ADD/ADHD, Depression, HSP, Co-Dependency and Enmeshment, Developmental Trauma, Childhood Abuse and Neglect.
Psychogenic Voice Disorders: Helping people struggling with voice issues stemming from stress, trauma or emotional difficulties, both professional voice users (singers, actors, teachers and public-speakers) and the general public.
Personal Empowerment: Life Transitions, Identity Formation and Identity Crises, Relationship Difficulties, Search for Meaning, Realization of Potential.
More about Elina:
Elina is an international therapist - born in the former USSR, grew up in Israel, and currently residing in Portugal. Speaking fluently English, Hebrew and Russian (learning Portuguese, but it will take some time to reach fluency...). This cultural diversity helps her to connect with clients worldwide, without limitations or biases related to ethnicity, religion or race.
Coming from a diverse professional and academic background, Elina is open and adaptable to clients from all walks of life. She has extensive training in music (studies in singing, music composition and piano at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music), and her sensitivity to music and language brings depth and breadth to her practice of psychotherapy.
Clients who find her particularly suitable for their needs, are creative individuals who resonate with the quote - "why fit in when you can stand out". Not in a self-aggrandizing manner, but for the belief that the process of individuation will benefit our collective as a whole.
Esoteric Trivia:
Keeping in mind that the map is not the terrain, Elina is open to the spiritual and esoteric realms no less than to scientific ones. She is a projector with a splenic authority and 4/6 profile in the system of Human Design, and an INFP in the system of MBTI. Her hobbies include singing, dancing, foodie-ing, reading and writing.
Technical Details:
Sessions with Elina are 50-minutes long, usually once a week at the same day and time. Sessions are conducted online, via video only (other formats such as phone call or texting are not possible, due to the nature of this work). Sessions require a computer and a stable internet connection.
After an initial consultation, the first few sessions are usually dedicated to a thorough intake of your life story and mental health history. If your inquiry is more about personal development or some specific goal without further mental health concerns, sessions would be typically more "goal-oriented". Processes can be short-term (12 to 24 sessions), medium-term (up to 2 years) or long-term (2 years and beyond).
Elina offers a 15 minutes free consultation for prospective clients. You can contact her via the contact form, specifying that you're interested in therapy.