Mariia Kuznetsova
Counsellor
Gestalt practitioner with 8 years of experience. EAGT accredited. I work with adults — depression, anxiety, relationships, life transitions, and expat challenges. Sessions in Russian and English, online. 70 EUR / 55 min.
I specialise in:
About me
My path to psychology wasn’t straightforward — and I think that’s part of what makes me good at this work. As a child, I was endlessly curious about people — why they behave the way they do, what shapes them, what moves beneath the surface. But I didn’t follow that curiosity immediately. I studied management in the United States first, then worked in HR recruitment for a while. I was good at it. But something was missing — I kept wanting to go deeper, to understand more, to actually help rather than just assess. So I went back to study psychology. And when I encountered Gestalt, something clicked — not just intellectually, but personally. I know from my own experience what it means to lose ground under your feet, to feel disconnected from yourself and from what you want. That experience quietly shaped the kind of practitioner I became. I’ve been living outside Russia for four years now — first in Montenegro, and for the past three years in Milan. I know what it means to start over in a new country, to feel like a stranger in a place that was supposed to become home, to rebuild your sense of self in a different language and culture. This isn’t just professional knowledge for me — it’s lived experience. Outside of sessions, I dance. Contemporary dance has become more than a hobby — I’m deeply interested in the intersection of movement and psychology, and I’m developing group work in this direction. I love arthouse cinema, long walks around Milan, and share my home with two corgis who keep me very grounded.
I speak:
Location:
Approach
I work in the Gestalt tradition — which means I’m interested in what’s happening for you right now, in this moment, not only in your past. Gestalt therapy is built on the belief that we are always in relationship — with ourselves, with others, with the world around us. When something feels stuck or painful, it’s often because that contact has been interrupted somewhere. My work is about gently exploring where and how that happens — and helping you find your way back to yourself. My style is warm, thorough, and honest. I don’t believe therapy has to be cold or distant to be effective. I bring myself into the room — with curiosity, with care, and sometimes with directness when I sense it’s needed. I work with depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, life transitions, and the specific challenges of living abroad. I have additional training in clinical psychology, psychosomatics, and work with addiction. I’m currently training in supervision and group facilitation in Italy. Sessions are 55 minutes, held online, in Russian or English. I believe that real change doesn’t only come from understanding — it comes from something shifting in how you feel, how you move through the world, how you meet yourself and others. That’s what we work toward together.
Experience
2018 - present - private psychotherapist practice 2019 - 2021 - psychologist in school “26 KADR” (Moscow) 2015 - 2018 - HR manager in Sibirian Generating Company
Education
2024 - present - Supervision training in Institute of Gestalt HCC (Italy) 2022-2024 - High School "Psychodemia" - "Clinical Psychology" 2018-2021 - High School of Gestalt Psychology Training program of Gestalt Therapist 2016-2020 - Synergy University, Moscow Bachelor in Psychology 2010-2013 - George Maison University, USA Bachelor in Management BSc 2009-2012 - Moscow State University, Moscow Bachelor in Management BSc
2014-2016 - Interregional institute of Gestalt-Therapy and Art, Ukraine The gestalt training program, Additional courses:
- Working with psychosomatic disorder 2014
- Running groups in gestalt therapy 2016 2018 -2020 - Moscow Institute of Gestalt Therapy and Counseling, Moscow Сourses:
- Working with addictive behaviour 2020
- Working with sexual frustration in gestalt therapy 2020 2021-2022 - Moscow Gestalt Institute (MGI), Moscow
- Working with teenagers in gestalt therapy
Services
Individual Session
Insurances
