Counseling Center Staff

I was born and grew up in Russia until my teens, when my family and I moved to United States. I am now bilingual in Russian and English, and I make sure to continue using Russian as often as I can.

I completed High School in United States, and then went on to college in New York City. I always had a passion for art and psychology, so for my undergraduate degree I majored in Fine Arts and minored in Art Therapy. I continue to use art in my own life as a stress management and self-care strategy.

I obtained a Certificate of Creative Art Therapy through my undergraduate studies. After graduating with my Bachelor’s I worked for several years as a child and family therapist and case manager at a non-profit mental health agency in Brooklyn NY. The majority of the families I worked with were culturally and racially diverse, and it continues to be an area of interest to me in my current work. I eventually decided to get a Master’s in Social Work so I can add a different perspective to my training as a therapist. I graduated from Master’s program in Clinical Social Work from New York University, and completed requirements for Licensed Clinical Social Worker after re-locating to KY. Additionally, I worked in a High School as a mental health provider, and as a Clinical Social Worker on an inpatient psychiatric unit. Both experiences have been a valuable addition to my skill set.

I really like working with young people because I enjoy being part of the journey of self-discovery, maturity, and self-actualization.

I enjoy incorporating art, creative writing, music, and other creative modalities in my counseling sessions, when my clients are interested. Otherwise, I provide more traditional verbal counseling that focuses on building coping skills and resilience. Often my interventions are informed by Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and Humanistic Therapy. We all come from somewhere and have a story, and all of us are impacted by our past. However, what we learn from our past, how we go forward and our future is completely up to us. Counseling can be instrumental in helping us discover our strengths, overcome barriers to success and happiness, and challenge ourselves to live a life true to our values.

I am passionate about working with culturally diverse and international students. I believe diversity and uniqueness needs to be supported to flourish, and we as a society are stronger when we respect each other’s differences and what we all contribute to our communities.