"When I first came to see Irina, I was in the darkest place I had ever been. I was battling major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety, drowning in heavy emotions that felt impossible to carry. I had already met with several other psychologists before, so by the time I walked into our first session, I didn’t have much hope left. I wasn’t expecting anything to change—and a part of me genuinely believed I might have to live like that forever. But as time went on in therapy, something started to shift. I began to feel seen and heard in ways I never had before. It was like, for the first time, someone truly understood that I was suffering—and that I mattered. That in itself became a turning point for me. Feeling heard in therapy gave me a small light in the darkness. It helped me begin the process of loving myself and seeing my negative thoughts not as truths, but as just parts of me—parts that I could understand and eventually heal. One of the things I valued most in our work together was the emotional regulation we practiced. We navigated my struggles side by side, and I always felt that Irina was trying to truly understand me—not just my symptoms, but me. Slowly, I started separating myself from the constant stream of negative self-talk. I began to see myself as someone outside the depression, someone who had the potential to grow. And little by little, I did. I started to feel a sense of self-love—small at first, but real. I became more compassionate with myself, and with others around me. Even outside of our sessions, I would keep the things we talked about in mind. The insights stayed with me and became guiding lights in my everyday life. I genuinely believe that everyone deserves to give themselves another chance through therapy. When you’re deep in depression, it’s hard to believe that hope can return—but therapy gives you a way back. Healing isn’t linear, and it doesn’t mean you’ll never feel pain again. But it does give you tools to navigate the hard days, and a sense of strength you didn’t know you had. Therapy with Irina has changed my life in the best possible way. The version of me before starting therapy and the version of me now are worlds apart—and I mean that in the most beautiful way. AEDP therapy, in particular, played a huge role in helping me come out of my depression. It helped me understand myself, and the world around me, in a deeper and kinder way."