Polina Lukanova

Polina is an experienced psychotherapist, who has recently completed her doctoral training in Counselling Psychology. She has experience working in a variety of settings such as non-profit organisations, public and private sectors. Polina has worked with a variety of presenting difficulties, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, trauma, life transitions, bereavement, attachment and relational difficulties, ADHD, and chronic nightmares. Her focus in therapy is to provide a safe, confidential and non-judgmental space for clients to explore their thoughts and feelings openly. Polina holds an empathic stance acknowledging the importance of context, culture, and diversity, and their influence on how we feel, think about ourselves and interact with others.

Polina views every person’s lived experience as unique, which is why she draws from a variety of therapeutic approaches to tailor the therapeutic encounter to her client's individual needs and preferences. Her theoretical and practical training includes person-centred, relational, psychodynamic, and CBT frameworks. She approaches her work from a trauma-informed perspective with a heightened awareness of the specific difficulties and needs that clients may have as a result of past or ongoing trauma. Due to her clinical and personal experience of trauma, she has a first-hand understanding of the complex and pervasive impact that it can have on a person's sense of self, sense of safety in the world, and efforts to cope.