It's Complicated

Irina Mitrofanova

Existential Counsellor

Available for new clients

I specialise in:

At a glance
Vienna, AustriaAvailable in-person and online
Usually responds after 24 hours

About me

I wasn’t supposed to burn out. I was the woman who had it all figured out: corporate career, international moves across seven countries, wife, mother of four, the one everyone counted on. I checked every box, hit every milestone, and still woke up one day feeling completely empty. That was the moment I realized the game I’d been winning was never going to fill the hole inside. For 17 years I lived the high-performer life—constant transitions, relentless pressure, the quiet exhaustion of performing “fine” while my inner voice grew fainter and fainter. I knew burnout and clinical depression intimately. I knew what it felt like to run on autopilot, fulfilling every role except the one that actually mattered: being fully, unapologetically me. So I did what any driven person does when the old strategies stop working. I stopped. I sought help. I went deep. And I discovered logotherapy and existential counseling—the work that finally gave me back my inner compass. For the past six years I’ve used everything I learned in the boardroom and the dark nights of the soul to help others do the same. I work with high performers who look successful on paper but feel something critical is missing: You’ve built the career, the business, the life—yet you still wake up wondering, “Is this it?” You’re respected, responsible, and constantly “on,” but privately exhausted by the disconnect between who you are and who you’ve become. Motivation feels distant. Joy feels optional. Meaning feels… negotiable. Transitions: exits, promotions, relocations, empty-nest, or just the quiet crisis of “I have everything I wanted. Why don’t I want it anymore?”have left you questioning your direction. If that ache sounds familiar, I get it. Because I’ve lived it. My role isn’t to fix you. You don’t need fixing—you need reconnection. I help you excavate the meaning that’s already inside you, rebuild the clarity that corporate life and family demands buried, and design a life that finally feels like yours again. I work with both men and women—leaders, entrepreneurs, executives—who are done settling for a life that looks perfect from the outside but feels hollow on the inside. Think of our work as sailing. I’ve skippered boats through storms most people would never leave the harbor in. Therapy with me is the same: even when the waves are brutal and the compass is spinning, we find the wind, regain balance, and set a course that actually matters. You don’t have to keep navigating alone. If you’re ready to stop performing and start living with real purpose, I’m here.

I speak:

EnglishRussianUkrainian

Location:

1010 Vienna, Austria

Approach

Treatment Approaches
CoachingRecommended for those who want support and motivation to achieve personal or professional goals, often with a structured, goal-oriented approach.
CounsellingRecommended for those who want to talk through their emotional challenges with a professional in a safe, supportive environment.
Existential analysisRecommended for those who are searching for deeper meaning in life or are struggling with big questions about existence, freedom, and purpose.
In our work together, I create a space that is safe but never soft. You can drop the performance. Say the things you’ve been editing in your head for years. Be the version of you that doesn’t have to hold it all together. Trust isn’t a given — it’s earned. Everything we discuss stays strictly confidential, so you can finally speak without filtering. I’ve sat across from high performers who look unbreakable on the outside and still carry the weight of “I should have this figured out by now.” When you feel truly seen — not analyzed, not fixed, but understood — something shifts. The noise quiets. The real questions surface. My approach is supportive and straight. I listen deeply, with real empathy for how heavy this can feel. At the same time, I’ll gently (and sometimes not so gently) challenge you to look at what you’ve been avoiding — the patterns, the values you’ve drifted from, the life you actually want instead of the one you’ve been maintaining. We leave room for lightness too. A well-timed dose of humor can cut through the heaviness and remind you that you’re still human — not a machine that’s failing. I won’t hand you ready-made answers or five-step formulas. That’s never worked for people like us anyway. Instead, we explore your experiences, your inner compass, and what feels unmistakably true for you. My job is to help you reconnect with your own direction so you can move forward with clarity, meaning, and a confidence that doesn’t depend on external validation. This is navigation, not rescue. Even when the conditions feel impossible, we find the wind again.

Services

Intro Call

Free 15 min Online & In-person

Individual Session

€85 1 hr Online & In-person

Insurances

Private Pay
At a glance
Vienna, AustriaAvailable in-person and online
Usually responds after 24 hours

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