Maria Shapkina
Counselling Psychologist & Integrative Therapist
Sometimes it is too hard to cope alone — and that is okay. I provide professional support to people facing difficult life situations.
I specialise in:
About me
I’m Maria Shapkina, a psychologist with over 8 years of professional experience.
Since adolescence, I have been deeply interested in psychology, guided by a lasting curiosity about human nature, inner life, and meaning. Over time, this became my professional path.
I support adults who feel emotionally overwhelmed — struggling with anxiety, inner pressure, self-criticism, loneliness, or difficulty managing strong emotions.
A significant part of my work is with people living abroad and those going through major life transitions — changes in family roles, identity, work, or the broader direction of life. These periods can unsettle our sense of stability and belonging, and raise difficult questions about who we are, what we need, and what comes next.
Relationships and parenting are also an important part of my practice. I help people better understand their emotional reactions, needs, boundaries, and recurring patterns in close relationships.
I also support people experiencing mood-related difficulties, including depression and PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). We may work with recurring changes in mood, energy, motivation, emotional sensitivity, and day-to-day functioning, while looking at both the immediate difficulties and the broader patterns surrounding them.
I also offer an affirming, respectful, and non-judgmental space for LGBTQ+ people.
Born in Latvia, having lived in Denmark, and now living in Turkey, I have a personal understanding of how migration and life between cultures can affect emotional well-being, identity, relationships, and one’s sense of stability and belonging.
I also bring lived experience into my work. As a mother of two and someone who has built a life across different countries and cultures, I understand how complex and non-linear periods of change, adaptation, and rebuilding can be.
Outside of therapy, I restore through creativity and nature. I love different forms of handcraft — from candle-making and jewellery design to upcycling — as well as travel, animals, and time outdoors. These parts of my life keep me grounded and connected to beauty, care, and renewal.
My first degree in Economics and Management adds structure, clarity, and a practical mindset to my therapeutic work.
✦ Over 2,000 hours of professional training
✦ Regular professional supervision and 7+ years of personal therapy
I speak:
Location:
Media Gallery
Approach
My therapeutic approach is warm, structured, and collaborative. I see therapy as a space where we can slow down enough to understand what is happening internally while also moving toward practical and sustainable change in everyday life.
I work both in short-term, goal-focused counselling and in longer-term therapeutic processes.
Short-term work focuses on stabilization, emotional regulation, and clear strategies for current challenges. Longer-term work allows deeper exploration of patterns, emotional history, and lasting change, which many clients find supportive for building a more stable relationship with themselves and others.
Depending on your needs, sessions may include structured reflection, skill-building, and gentle between-session practices that help integrate insights into daily life. We regularly adjust the pace and goals to your real capacity.
I pay particular attention to the foundations that support psychological well-being — sleep, rest, nervous system recovery, and predictable daily rhythms — as these strongly influence emotional stability and therapeutic progress.
You don’t need to be in crisis to begin therapy. Some people come with long-standing difficulties, while others simply notice that something feels heavier or more confusing than it used to. Both are equally welcome.
You can book a 20-minute introductory call where you can briefly share what brings you to therapy, and we can see if working together feels like a good fit.
Experience
I began my work in psychology in 2017 as a volunteer at the women’s training center Gravitatsiya, facilitating online therapeutic programs for women and supporting them with issues related to childhood trauma and attachment. Since 2018, I have been in private practice, supporting clients individually, including expats facing relationship difficulties, emotional challenges, adaptation-related stress, and eating-related difficulties such as emotional eating. I also facilitated group trainings for mothers on emotional self-regulation. From 2022 to 2024, I worked at the online centre “It’s Possible to Eat” as a psychologist specialising in normalising eating behaviour and supporting weight management. I worked with clients experiencing eating disorders, including binge eating and bulimia, as well as eating-related difficulties such as emotional eating and restrictive patterns. A particular focus of my work was supporting neurodivergent clients, including those with ADHD and autism spectrum conditions, whose eating difficulties often involve additional sensory, emotional, and self-regulation-related factors. Since 2024, I have been fully dedicated to online private practice, supporting clients with anxiety, emotional overload, parenting-related stress, eating-related difficulties, and challenges related to neurodivergence.
Education
My training combines clinical psychology, evidence-based therapy, and specialized work with trauma, neurodivergence, mood difficulties, and eating-related concerns.
Clinical assessment and counselling:
Clinical psychological assessment, psychotherapy, and psychological counseling; (Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, International Higher School of Practical Psychology, Riga)
Trauma and emotional regulation:
EMDR Training (Level 1 & 2); DBT Skills training with Marsha Linehan; ACT training; I am also IFS and Scheme Therapy informed.
Neurodivergence:
Professional training in supporting neurodivergent individuals, including ADHD, autism spectrum, and sensory differences (PsyDocMed)
Eating disorders and eating behaviour:
Training in the treatment of eating disorders with Marcia Herrin, Fellow Academy of Eating Disorders, Weight management, eating behavior psychology, and nutrition science (Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis)
Additional methods:
Therapeutic art life coaching (Transformation Academy) Coaching training (ICM Advanced School of Coaching)
Services
Intro Call
Individual Session
Individual Session
Insurances
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