Iryna Shaiashnikova

You've held it together for years. But something has shifted, you feel exhausted, anxious, or quietly disconnected, and you're not sure why. Perhaps you've been part of a system — institutional, professional, or cultural — that slowly wore you down. Or you're a reflective, high-achieving person living with anxiety, depression, or panic that no longer stays hidden. I'm an integrative therapist specialising in trauma, moral injury, anxiety, and displacement.

As a Ukrainian refugee, I bring lived understanding of identity and belonging. I work in Ukrainian, Russian, and English.

You don't have to figure this out alone. Let's talk

My professional vision is shaped by my lived experience as a Ukrainian refugee. Having lived and worked across Ukraine, Montenegro, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom, I bring strong cultural sensitivity and a deep understanding of displacement, identity, and belonging.

I have clinical experience supporting:

-Refugees and asylum seekers

-Survivors of domestic violence and institutional trauma

-People affected by war and conflict

-Complex bereavement, including loss by suicide and complex presentations

-People with complex, developmental, and institutional trauma.

-Support for clients with anxiety, depression, panic disorder, relationship difficulties, and bereavement.

I have worked under trauma-informed supervision and am experienced in assessing and managing risk related to self-harm, suicide, and safeguarding concerns.

My MSc dissertation, "The Fit Factor: Cultural Dimensions and Therapy Satisfaction," explored how cultural diversity influences therapeutic outcomes.

Languages & Cultural Competence:

I am fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian. I work with particular sensitivity to cultural identity, displacement, and the impact of war and conflict on mental health.

My practice is guided by:

Collaboration therapy as a partnership

Compassion, psychological safety and respect

Ethical practice guided by NCPS and BACP standards

Cultural sensitivity honouring your context and lived experience

Evidence-based work grounded in research and clinical effectiveness

Person-centred care adapted to you, not a rigid model

Ongoing Development:

I actively engage in continuing professional development, regularly attending international and Ukrainian conferences on CBT, trauma, and crisis intervention.

Qualifications:

MSc Counselling - Bangor University

Bachelor Honours in Practical Psychology

MNCPS Accredited Therapist

Training & continuing professional development:

Certificate: Certificate in CBT model of fostering psychological resilience, Ukrainian Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy 2023

Certificate: Mindfulness-Based Contemplative Psychotherapy, University of Derby 2025

Certificate: Brief Group Schema Therapy (BST): A Structured, Experiential Approach for Complex Cases, by Michiel Van Vreeswijk and Kirsty Gillings

Certificate: Existential concerns and cognitive-behavioural procedures: Managing death, isolation, identity, freedom and the search for meaning, by Ross Menzies

Certificate: CBT with traumatised refugees and asylum seekers - Kerry Young, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, UK

Cultural Competence & Languages

Fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, and English

MSc dissertation: "The Fit Factor: Cultural Orientation and Therapy Satisfaction" exploring how cultural diversity influences therapeutic outcomes

I specialise in institutional trauma and moral injury where prolonged exposure to unsafe systems leaves people feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or questioning their own perceptions. I also work with anxiety, depression, panic disorder, relationship challenges, life transitions, and bereavement.

Many of my clients are highly resilient, reflective individuals who have functioned well for years, yet find themselves exhausted after prolonged exposure to unsafe systems or relationships. Therapy is not about "fixing" you, but about restoring inner coherence, trust, and your sense of agency.

I am an integrative & trauma-informed therapist with a foundation in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), integrating person-centred, psychodynamic, trauma-informed, and mindfulness-based approaches. I believe therapy should be collaborative, compassionate, and tailored to your individual needs, values, and goals.

I work in a formulation-led way, adapting the focus and structure of therapy to your unique situation and capacity. I work with you as a person, not a diagnosis.

People come to therapy with very different needs.

Some are seeking structured, evidence-based support to manage symptoms and function more effectively in daily life. Others are looking for space to reflect, understand themselves more deeply, and work through complex emotional or relational experiences.

Both are valid reasons to begin therapy — and often, both are present at the same time.

My role is not to fit you into a model, but to offer therapy that is responsive, thoughtful, and clinically grounded.

Integrative Therapy: What It Means

As an integrative therapist, I do not believe that one therapeutic approach suits everyone.

Instead, I draw from several evidence-based psychological models, integrating them carefully and intentionally. The focus of our work is shaped by your needs, values, capacity, and goals — and it can evolve over time.

Different challenges require different kinds of support. Some situations call for clarity and structure; others require safety, reflection, or depth. We decide together what will be most helpful at each stage of the process.