Background:

Hello again, nice to e-meet you! I'm Anna – a therapist, artist, mother, designer, double immigrant, potter, and former architect with a unique life journey. My childhood in a communist dictatorship ended in the collapse of the USSR, prompting my family to become refugees in Israel. After completing my education and starting a family there, me, my partner and two daughters embarked on another transformative journey, settling in Vancouver, Canada.

My diverse background and the multiple immigrations exposed me to various hardships and mistreatments like misogyny, antisemitism, and sexual harassment to name a few, that subsequently led to mental health challenges and prompted me to take on a long healing journey .

My struggles illuminated the crucial role of therapy in reconnecting with the body and tapping into inner creative resources. Arts, movement, clay work, and mindfulness practices became integral to my life. Now, I weave my learned, lived, and felt experiences into therapy sessions, embracing trauma-informed, human-centred, and strength-based approaches.

In the wise words of Dr. Frank Anderson, "People without trauma are not doing therapeutic trauma work." My commitment is to guide individuals through their healing process, drawing on professional expertise and the profound insights gained from my transformative experiences.

Education & credentials:

I bring a diverse background in arts, sciences, and psychotherapy. With a Master's Degree in Art, Product Design, and Business Management from Israel, I pursued a post-graduate diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy in Canada. As an active Registered Therapeutic Counsellor (membership #3125) of the Association of Counselling Therapists (ACCT), I engage in ongoing personal therapy currently focused on IFS to foster continual growth. Regular supervision and participation in peer groups further enrich my practice. My commitment to professional development is evident through certifications in ADHD no-medication management, DBT, IFS, Attachment-based therapy, Bilateral drawing, EMDR, MBSR, and Trauma work. Drawing on over a decade of mindfulness practice, I've tailored techniques for accessibility across diverse backgrounds, embracing both neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals.

My approach:

I specialize in addressing various issues and human conditions that are caused by stress, inhibition of the self, and struggle to fit and function in our rigid society, including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, ADHD (especially in women), menopause, midlife crisis, aging, grief, loss, creative block, and chronic pain.

I have extensive experience working with clients who identify as women, non-binary, and genderqueer, as well as individuals with ADHD. An LGBTQQIP2SA-friendly lens is central to my practice, and I am committed to providing a safe and inclusive space for my clients of all genders, races and ethnicities.

Sessions structure:

I offer personalized sessions that combine IFS parts work, expressive arts, and counselling. Each session starts with grounding and verbal check-in, where we explore your current challenges. We then proceed with visual arts like painting, clay or writing to delve deeper. The session concludes with "harvesting" insights to integrate them into your experience. Not all sessions will involve art making, we might do IFS work, counselling or psychoeducation instead. The unique combination of Expressive Arts therapy, IFS and mindfullness allows my clients to get in touch with their inner wounds and processes in a gentle but profound way. After a few initial sessions, most clients report feeling lighter, more focused and have better clarity, energy and connection to the self.

My other offerings:

Creating custom-tailored Expressive Arts workshops is a true passion of mine. I collaborate with the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and several care homes. I volunteer with organizations like Moving Forward, Burnaby Hospice Society, and Kitsilano Neighbourhood House to bring ExA to local communities. I've also had the opportunity to work with women immigrants group from UBC and Ukrainian refugees.

If you're looking for a unique ExA workshop that combines movement, visual art, and creative writing to foster creativity and human connection. In that case, I'd love to chat about your next event!

Languages I speak:

While English is the primary language of my clients, I am fluent in Russian and Hebrew, with a basic understanding of Ukrainian, French and learning Spanish.

What I do in my free time:

When I'm not seeing my therapy clients, I spend my time in the pottery section of the studio, where I make dishes and home decor. I also teach private and group pottery classes. I enjoy hiking with my family and our dog - a lively flat-coated retriever named Arthur. I switch from paddle boarding to skiing during winter, but I never stop swimming. I usually head to Jericho Beach or Bunsen Lake for a solo or group swim with like-minded individuals - a practice that supported me throughout the years.