Behind every diploma and certificate stands a real person with their own story. We created this page so you can get to know us more closely — not as specialists listed in a directory, but as human beings who once also stood at a crossroads and searched for their path. All our psychologists were once in the client's shoes — doubting, afraid, searching. Perhaps someone's story will resonate with you.
Ilya Tsar — project lead of the center. But it wasn't always this way. Before psychology, Ilya built a career in business: managing teams, negotiating deals, launching projects. A seemingly successful path. But the higher he climbed, the clearer he saw: the real problems of business are not in Excel spreadsheets — they are in people's minds. Impostor syndrome in a talented employee, burnout in a top manager, toxic team dynamics — all these "human factors" proved more compelling than any business strategy.
Why psychology? The turning point came when Ilya faced his own crisis — professional burnout. Psychotherapy not only helped him recover but also rethink his entire life. He quit, enrolled in a psychology program, and started from scratch. "I was 32, sitting in lectures with twenty-year-olds. Best decision of my life."
Thesis: "The Impact of Impostor Syndrome on Career Self-Actualization among Mid-Level Managers." He chose this topic because he had gone through it himself and had seen dozens of colleagues with the same issue. His advisor was initially skeptical — "too narrow a topic" — but after the defense, recommended the work for publication.
Research interests: relational trauma and its impact on careers; the neuroscience of decision-making; integrating EMDR and CBT in business consulting. Plans include an RCT on the effectiveness of EMDR for impostor syndrome.
Professional dream: "To make evidence-based psychotherapy accessible and understandable. So that people go to a psychologist as casually as they go to a dentist — without shame or fear."
Vasily Serov — psychiatrist and EMDR therapist. His journey began in medical school, where, unlike many of his classmates, he knew from his first year that he would go into psychiatry. "I was always fascinated by the borderlands: where does 'normal' sadness end and depression begin? Where is the line between personality and disorder?"
Why psychology? After his residency, Vasily worked in an inpatient unit and faced reality: patients would be discharged on medication, only to return six months later with the same problems. "I realized medication is a crutch. It helps you walk but doesn't teach you how. I wanted my patients to walk on their own." He began studying psychotherapy and discovered EMDR.
Thesis: "Comparative Effectiveness of Pharmacotherapy vs. Combined Approach (Pharmacotherapy + EMDR) in Treating PTSD in Combat Veterans." The topic choice was not accidental: Vasily had consulted several veterans and saw how medication dulled the intensity but did not stop the flashbacks.
Research interests: psychopharmacology combined with EMDR; the neuroscience of trauma; comparative effectiveness of PTSD treatment modalities. Plans to research EMDR for treatment-resistant depression.
Professional dream: "To shatter the myth that psychiatrists are 'punishers with pills.' I want people to know: modern psychiatry is about help, not stigma."
Anna Ivanova — clinical psychologist. Her interest in psychology emerged early: at age 14, she read a general psychology textbook she found at her older sister's place (a university student). "I understood nothing, but I felt: this is it. This is what I want to do."
Why psychology? Anna enrolled in clinical psychology right after school — without hesitation. In her third year, she did a practicum in a neurosis unit and saw a panic attack "live" for the first time. "It was terrifying and mesmerizing all at once. I knew I wanted to work specifically with anxiety disorders — it's something I feel and understand on a deep level."
Term paper: "Cognitive Distortions in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Comparative Analysis." Anna conducted a series of patient interviews and identified thinking patterns characteristic of GAD. The work received high praise from the department.
Research interests: cognitive mechanisms of anxiety disorders; effectiveness of CBT for panic attacks; integrating EMDR into GAD treatment. Plans a dissertation on the comparative effectiveness of CBT and EMDR for panic disorder.
Professional dream: "To write a book for people with anxiety — not in academic style, but warm and accessible. So that someone experiencing a panic attack for the first time can open it and realize: they are not alone, and this is treatable."
Dmitry Volkov — psychologist specializing in social anxiety and social skills development. His path into psychology began with personal experience: throughout school and university, Dmitry suffered from severe social anxiety. "I could spend weeks preparing for a five-minute presentation. And then still stand in front of the room with shaking hands and a blank mind."
Why psychology? In his second year of an engineering degree, Dmitry started seeing a psychologist — and it changed everything. "After six months of therapy, I gave a talk in front of a group calmly for the first time in my life. I remember that feeling — as if a lead suit had been taken off me." He transferred to the psychology department and decided to specialize in the very thing that had helped him.
Thesis: "Social Anxiety and Early Maladaptive Experiences: The Role of Emotional Abuse in the Development of Social Phobia." Dmitry investigated the link between childhood rejection experiences and the development of social anxiety in adulthood. The work was recognized at a student conference.
Research interests: social anxiety and avoidance behaviors; DBT skills for emotional regulation; dissociative processes in C-PTSD. Plans to research the effectiveness of group EMDR therapy for people with social anxiety.
Professional dream: "To create a group therapy program for social anxiety, available online. So that people from small towns where there are no specialists can still get help."
Elena Orlova — neuropsychologist. Her journey began with Oliver Sacks' book "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat," read at age 16. "I was stunned: damage to a tiny area of the brain can transform a personality beyond recognition. I wanted to understand how that works."
Why psychology? Elena was choosing between medical school and psychology — and chose psychology because "medicine back then didn't teach you to see the person behind the diagnosis." During her specialist degree, she got drawn into neuropsychology, did an internship at a rehabilitation center, and knew: this was it. "To see someone after a stroke learn to speak, count, and recognize faces again — it's a miracle. And I can be part of that miracle."
Thesis: "Neuropsychological Rehabilitation after Traumatic Brain Injury: The Role of Bilateral Stimulation in Cognitive Recovery." Elena was one of the first in her university to study the application of EMDR-based approaches in neurorehabilitation. Her advisor called the work "bold and promising."
Research interests: neuroplasticity and EMDR; cognitive rehabilitation after TBI; neuropsychological assessment in children with learning difficulties. Plans to study the impact of EMDR on cognitive function in patients with long COVID.
Professional dream: "To open an interdisciplinary neurorehabilitation center where neurologists, neuropsychologists, and EMDR therapists work as one team. Without the divide between 'physical' and 'mental.'"
Anna Soboleva — systemic family therapist, EFT therapist. Her interest in family therapy sprang from observing her own parents. "They loved each other, but they fought as if they were enemies. I didn't understand: why? Later I learned it's called the 'pursue-withdraw cycle' — and it's treatable."
Why psychology? After school, Anna enrolled in the psychology department, but initially wanted to be a child psychologist. Everything changed during her practicum at a family counseling center: "I saw a couple who came in with a child's problem. Fifteen minutes in, it was clear that the 'child's problem' was a symptom. The real problem was in the marriage. It hit me: when you work with a family, you help everyone at once."
Thesis: "Negative Interaction Cycles in High-Conflict Couples: EFT Analysis and Interventions." Anna conducted a qualitative study of 12 couples and identified typical patterns of conflict escalation. This work became the foundation of her specialization.
Research interests: adult attachment theory; EFT for infidelity recovery; integrating EMDR into couples work (processing individual traumas that affect the relationship). Plans to study the effectiveness of EFT+EMDR for couples recovering from infidelity.
Professional dream: "For couples to come to therapy not when things are already bad, but when things are still good — just to make them even better. Prevention, not emergency care."
Maria Petrova — family psychologist. She grew up in a large family and from childhood observed how differently relationships unfolded between siblings and parents. "I was the middle child. The classic 'peacemaker.' Maybe that's why I understand family dynamics so well from the inside."
Why psychology? Maria first earned a degree in education and worked in a school. "I saw children with behavioral difficulties and understood: the problem wasn't the child. The problem was what was happening at home. But I didn't have the tools to help." She went back for a second degree — in psychology — and found her tools.
Thesis: "Parent-Child Relationships in Families with Different Parenting Styles: Impact on Academic Performance and Social Adjustment in Adolescents." Maria surveyed 60 families and demonstrated that authoritative parenting style significantly correlates with successful adjustment — regardless of family income.
Research interests: parent-child attachment; the impact of divorce on children of different ages; EMDR in working with childhood trauma. Plans to study the effectiveness of family EMDR therapy during divorce.
Professional dream: "To create a psychological support program for families going through divorce — so that children come through it with minimal harm."
Ulyana K. — family psychologist. Her path into the profession was not straightforward: first — a degree in philology, then work as an editor, marriage, two children. "At 30, I was sitting at home on maternity leave, feeling like I was losing myself. Who am I? A mother? A wife? Where am I in all this?"
Why psychology? That question launched her own therapy. "The psychologist helped me not just 'get out of maternity leave' but reassemble myself from scratch. I was so grateful that I wanted to learn to do the same for others." Ulyana enrolled in a psychology program at 32, with two small children at home. "It was hard. But when you know why you're doing it — the strength finds you."
Thesis: "Identity Crisis in Women on Maternity Leave: Risk Factors and Coping Strategies." The topic was born from personal experience. Ulyana surveyed 80 women and identified key factors that help preserve identity during motherhood. The work was recommended for publication.
Research interests: female identity and role conflicts; normative and non-normative family crises; EMDR for postpartum anxiety. Plans to study the effectiveness of EMDR in processing traumatic birth experiences.
Professional dream: "To normalize the conversation about motherhood not always being joyful. That you can love your child and still be tired, angry, and need time alone. Without guilt."
Alexey Smirnov — child psychologist. His journey started with volunteering at an orphanage during his second year of university. "I went in thinking 'I'll help the poor orphans' and walked out realizing I knew nothing about children. They were more complex, deeper, and more fascinating than any textbook."
Why psychology? Alexey enrolled in the psychology department almost by chance — "tagging along with a friend." But by his first year, he knew: this was his path. "Child psychology hooked me because everything here is real. A child doesn't know how to pretend. If they're in pain — you see it right away."
Thesis: "Play Therapy in Addressing the Effects of Bullying in Primary School Children." Alexey developed and piloted a 10-session play therapy program for children who had experienced bullying. Results showed a significant reduction in anxiety and improved self-esteem among participants.
Research interests: adapting the EMDR protocol for children; play-based methods in trauma therapy; bullying prevention in schools. Plans to study the effectiveness of EMDR in children affected by bullying.
Professional dream: "For every school to have a psychologist whom children trust. Not 'the lady from the office with a nameplate,' but a person you can come to with anything — and be heard."
Olga Kuznetsova — business psychologist. Before psychology, she built a successful HR career: from recruiter to HR director at a major company. "I conducted thousands of interviews and saw a pattern: people don't leave companies — they leave unresolved inner problems."
Why psychology? The turning point: Olga was conducting an exit interview with a talented manager who was quitting "into the void." "He said: 'I just can't anymore. I wake up thinking I'm nobody.' He had severe impostor syndrome. I realized I wanted to work with this — not as an HR person, but as a psychologist." Olga earned a second degree and has no regrets.
Thesis: "Impostor Syndrome as a Factor in Professional Burnout among Mid-Level Managers." Olga drew on her HR experience: she surveyed 120 managers and showed that impostor syndrome is a stronger predictor of burnout than overwork.
Research interests: career psychology; impostor syndrome and perfectionism; EMDR in business consulting. Plans to study the effectiveness of Wingwave coaching for public speaking preparation.
Professional dream: "To make psychological support as standard in companies as health insurance. So that an employee can see a psychologist as easily as they see a GP."
Natalya Belova — coach, Wingwave coach, and EMDR therapist. Her path is winding: an economics degree, work in a bank, her own business, burnout, searching for herself. "At 35, I was sitting in an office realizing: I'm doing everything 'right,' but I feel hollow inside. That's when I first went to a coach."
Why psychology? Coaching changed her life. "In three sessions, I learned more about myself than in ten years of self-analysis. I quit, sold the business, and went back to school." Natalya earned a psychology degree and Wingwave certification — a method combining bilateral stimulation and kinesiology for rapid work with blocks.
Thesis: "The Effectiveness of Short-Term Coaching Interventions with Bilateral Stimulation Elements for Procrastination in Creative Professionals." Natalya chose this topic because she herself had struggled with procrastination for years and knew the problem from the inside.
Research interests: Wingwave and its neurobiological mechanisms; coaching with EMDR elements; working with procrastination and perfectionism. Plans to study the effectiveness of Wingwave in preparing athletes for competition.
Professional dream: "To show people that coaching is not 'Instagram-success.' It's a serious method that genuinely helps change lives. Fast and without fluff."