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Childhood Anxiety and Neuroses

Childhood Anxiety and Neuroses

Fears, tics, enuresis, obsessive habits (nail biting), and elevated childhood anxiety levels.

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Education & Membership
Specialist Degree in Psychology Kyiv National University of Internal Affairs · 2003–2008
Psychologist, psychotherapist Co-founder of the Development and Abilitation Center 'ProSapiens' · 2019 →
Head of Development and Rehabilitation Department Medical Center 'Osoblyvyi' · 2018–2019
Psychologist Medical Center 'Osoblyvyi' · 2017–2018
Psychologist CO 'Down Syndrome', Early Development Center · 2015–2016
Group Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Kyiv Institute of Modern Psychology and Psychotherapy · 2018–2023
Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) in the treatment of borderline, narcissistic, and other severe personality disorders Ukrainian Association of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP-Ukraine) · 2024–2024
STIPO-R Structured Interview of Personality Organization (Revised) TFP-Ukraine · 2024–2024
Psychoanalytic work with non-neurotic patients Gradiva Psychoanalysis Center · 2024–2024
Structural psychoanalytic approach to the diagnosis and therapy of psychoses Institute of Psychoanalysis · 2023–2023
Seminar: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Modern vision of the problem and diagnostics Ukrainian Union of Psychotherapy (UUP) · 2023–2023
Child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapy International Institute of Depth Psychology · 2015–2016
More about education →

How I work with this

With anxious children, I work through play and drawing — safe ways for the child. In parallel, I work with parents: helping them understand how anxiety is unconsciously transmitted within the family, and how to create a safer environment for the child.

Do you recognise yourself?

  • fears and phobias
  • tics
  • enuresis
  • obsessive habits (nail biting)
  • elevated childhood anxiety levels

If you recognised 3+ points — it is a good reason to talk to a psychologist.

Approach & Methodology

When a Child Is Afraid

Children's fears and anxiety are a normal part of development, but when they interfere with a child's life, specialist help is needed. Tics, enuresis, obsessive habits — common manifestations of childhood anxiety that respond well to psychoanalytic work.

  • Fears and phobias (darkness, monsters, separation)
  • Anxiety before school and kindergarten
  • Tics, enuresis, obsessive habits
  • Separation anxiety

Questions & Answers

Why did the child suddenly start fearing things that previously didn't scare them at all? +

From a psychoanalytic perspective, a phobia is often a displaced fear. This means that the real anxiety — for example, due to family tension, a crisis of growing up, or internal conflict — is too complex for direct awareness. Therefore, the psyche transfers it onto a specific external object (displacement mechanism) that is easier to control or simply avoid.

Is it possible to quickly get rid of phobias and separation anxiety using a few relaxation techniques? +

Relaxation techniques do help reduce the acuteness of symptoms in the early stages. However, if we are dealing with a neurotic disorder, symptoms are only the "tip of the iceberg." For a lasting result, we need to work through those basic, unconscious fears and internal conflicts that feed this anxiety, otherwise it will find a way to manifest through another symptom (symptom substitution).

Is my presence required during sessions if the child or adolescent has severe separation anxiety? +

In the initial stages, your presence or proximity may be a necessary condition to create a sense of basic safety. Gradually, as deep trust in the therapist develops (therapeutic alliance), we will gently explore the possibility of independent work, which in itself will become an important healing step towards autonomy.

How exactly does schema therapy work with high anxiety? +

In the process, we identify that vulnerable part of the psyche (the Vulnerable Child mode) which takes the full brunt of stress. We learn to recognize moments when the sense of catastrophe is merely an echo of past experience, not a real threat in the here-and-now. Over time, the client internalizes the inner voice of a caring and supportive adult (interiorization), which allows them to soothe themselves independently.

How the work unfolds

01

Initial contact

Write in the messenger or leave a request on the site. Do not look for the right words — I will help you carefully start our journey and we will choose a convenient meeting time.

02

First consultation

A safe space for acquaintance, where you will feel if my approach suits you. This meeting does not oblige you to anything and only helps determine the next steps.

03

Regular therapy

Meetings are held 1-2 times a week for 50 minutes, online or face-to-face. A stable schedule is necessary for deep transformation and the development of your internal supports.

04

Payment and booking

The session fee is 50 USD (in hryvnias). Please read the Public Offer. The time is finally reserved and confirmed after payment.

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