Athina Skondra

My goal is to help you become who you truly are! My approach to psychotherapy is psychodynamic. I believe that our behaviour, feelings and psychological problems are strongly influenced and determined by past experiences and the dynamic interplay of unconscious factors. Providing a safe, non-judgmental environment for my clients to freely and openly express their thoughts and feelings about past or current experiences, is central to my practice. I help them: 1) understand the roots of their psychological problems, 2) break repetitive patterns of dysfunctional behaviour and learn new, more adaptive ways of dealing with difficulties, 3) explore and bring to light hidden parts of their self 4) improve their relationships and as a consequence, live a more fulfilling, symptom-free life. To achieve that, I draw from different theoretical perspectives whenever needed and integrate varied techniques in my work. I view psychotherapy as a journey and the goal(s) the clients set as the destination. Every person is different and so is every destination. For some, the destination might be a less stress-laden life, a conquered phobia or better sleep. For others, it might be healthy self-esteem, an improved relationship with a significant other or a healed psychological trauma. The destinations are countless but they all have one thing in common: they are a better, healthier place to be in. The journeys are also different. During psychotherapy, with some we will take route A while with others route B. We will have to climb mountains or swim the ocean while with others we will have to drive around the city or walk along the beachfront. There are so many different ways to reach different destinations. The time it will take us, depends on the route we take and the obstacles we come upon so you have to start now! “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” (Chinese proverb).

2016 - now: Private practice 2014 - 2019: Psychologist at the 2nd Municipal Health Centre of Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece. 2014 - 2019: Psychologist at the Counselling Centre of Preventive Medicine of Chalandri, Athens, Greece.

2016 - Postgraduate diploma in Cognitive Analytic Therapy and Relational Psychoanalysis, Institute for Relational and Group Psychotherapy, Athens, Greece. 2007 - MSc Consciousness and Transpersonal Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, UK. 2003 - BSc (Hons) Psychology, Coventry University, UK. Continuing education programmes and seminars: 2020 - "Views of masochism in psychoanalytic theory and clinical practice". 2018-2019 - Introductory lectures in Psychosomatic theory. 2017 - "Anxiety in adolescents". 2016-2017 - "Lectures in psychoanalytic theory and practice". 2016 - "The analyst's role in the therapeutic process: Interpretation and the analytic relationship". 2016 - "Clinical issues in the development of children and adolescents". 2015 - "Teenagers and communication. Discourse, body, act and new technologies". 2015 - "Contemporary issues in Children and Adolescent psychiatry". 2014 - "Transformative aspects of our own analyses and their resonance in our work with our patients" 2013 - "A mutual survival of destructiveness and its creative potential for agency and desire". 2008 - Clinical Psychopathology. 2008 - Philosophy and Methodology of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.