Lilia Nazlukhanyan

What drew me to psychology was a deep curiosity about human behavior. I’ve always wondered why we do what we do, why we hurt each other and ourselves, and how we can transform that pain into love. But the moment I knew I wanted to be a therapist was when I first heard a lecture about trauma work. It offered a way of understanding suffering that didn’t pathologize people and instead honored our pain and made sense of so many mental health struggles.

In my practice, I’ve seen again and again how trauma lies beneath so many of the diagnoses people carry: anxiety, depression, OCD, eating disorders, addictions, etc. What makes the most sense to me is to look at the pain underneath, not just the surface-level symptoms. Using tools like parts work, somatic processing, and relational attunement, I help clients turn toward the parts of themselves they had to push away in order to survive.

When we give those parts space to be seen, something powerful happens. Clients begin to feel lighter, more present, more whole. I see them come alive in those moments as they reconnect with the creativity, joy, and purpose that were hidden alongside the pain. They start to build safety in their bodies, trust their emotions and needs, and connect to the world with more authenticity and fulfillment. This paves the way for real, lasting change that is based on compassion and love, instead of judgement or pressure.