Individual Counselling, Psychotherapy & Couples Counselling
Relational and neuroaffirming approach
Welcome to Relational Home
I offer psychotherapy and counselling as a registered counsellor and Gestalt psychotherapist, helping you make sense of your experiences, navigate life’s challenges and build more fulfilling relationships.
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Hi, I’m Katia
I am a Certified Practicing Counsellor and Master’s-qualified Gestalt Psychotherapist, working with individuals and couples in person and online.
My practice is relational and trauma-informed, with a particular interest in relationships and neurodivergence, including working with autistic adults and adults with ADHD. I take an individualised approach, recognising that people differ in how they communicate, process emotions, experience relationships and respond to their environment.
As a therapist, I bring curiosity, perceptiveness and a capacity to stay engaged when things become emotionally complex. I am attentive to nuances, contradictions and relational dynamics, including what may be difficult to recognise or express directly. I can work with conflict and strong emotion without losing sight of the person behind the difficulty. I also pay attention to what happens beyond words, including how stress and emotion show up in the body and how you respond when experiences become overwhelming.
Originally from Russia, I bring lived experience of navigating different cultural contexts and adapting to life between cultures. This has informed my understanding of identity, belonging and difference, as well as the complexities of finding connection while maintaining a sense of who you are. Through this experience, I have developed a deeper awareness of how cultural expectations, family values and social environments can shape the way we understand ourselves and relate to others.
Areas of support:
Relationships and Connection
Conflict and communication challenges
Negative cycles and relationship difficulties
Attachment and relationship anxiety
Building self-trust and healthy boundaries
Blended family dynamics
Separation, breakup, and divorce
Emotional Wellbeing
Anxiety, panic, and overwhelm
Chronic stress
Building emotional resilience and self-awareness
Addiction & recovery
Intrusive thoughts/compulsive behaviours.
Neurodivergent Adults
Neuroaffirming support for autistic adults and adults with ADHD, AuDHD
Navigating relationships, work, and life transitions as a neurodivergent person
Support with executive functioning and creating strategies
Understanding and accommodating sensory needs
Life Transitions
Immigration, relocation, and cultural adjustment
Adjusting to unexpected life events and uncertainty
Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia - Registration number 31718
Locations & Availability
I offer counselling and psychotherapy in three ways:
Mullumbimby (Wednesdays)
Centre for Mind Body Wellness
Upstairs in the Arcade
Shop 2/108 Stuart Street
Mullumbimby NSW 2482
Newrybar
In-person appointments are available from my private practice space in Newrybar, NSW.
Online · Australia & International
Online sessions are available across Australia and internationally. When booking, select your local time zone to see appointment times where you are.
Gestalt therapy students are welcome.
How it works
Initial Session:
Our first session is an opportunity for us to learn more about what brings you to therapy and the support you are seeking. For individuals, we will discuss your current life situation, relevant history, relationships, your strengths, and the challenges you are facing. For couples, the initial sessions will include a structured assessment of your relationship, your concerns, and what each of you hopes to change. Read more about how I work with couples here.
Following Sessions:
Therapy is tailored to what matters most to you. We may engage in conversation, slow down certain moments, identify patterns, explore emotions or relationships, address issues that arise during our sessions, or discover practical approaches to tackle challenges differently. I understand that everyone processes experiences in their own unique way. You might connect with yourself through feelings, thoughts, sensations, movement, patterns, logic, humor, images, or something entirely different. There is no specific way you need to approach therapy here.
As Our Work Develops:
Change doesn’t have to mean transforming into someone entirely different. Instead, it can involve gaining more choices, increased flexibility, stronger relationships, or a greater ability to live in ways that align with your true self.
We work towards what matters to you, at a pace that feels meaningful and sustainable, allowing the direction of therapy to develop as you do.
What is Gestalt Therapy?
Gestalt therapy emerged in the 1940s and 1950s through the work of Fritz Perls, Laura Perls, Paul Goodman and others. Its theoretical foundations draw from psychoanalysis, Gestalt psychology, existential philosophy, phenomenology and field theory, while its development was also influenced by Eastern philosophical traditions, including Zen Buddhism.
Contemporary Gestalt therapy has developed considerably since its early beginnings. Rather than being defined by a particular set of techniques, it is a way of understanding human experience through several interconnected lenses.
Phenomenology places lived experience at the centre of inquiry, approaching experience descriptively and with curiosity rather than beginning with interpretation or predetermined explanations.
Field theory understands people as inseparable from the relational, social, cultural and environmental contexts in which experience takes shape. From this perspective, experience is always understood in relation to the conditions of the wider field.
A relational and dialogical perspective understands human experience as fundamentally relational. The therapeutic relationship is therefore central to Gestalt therapy, with attention given to dialogue and what emerges in contact between people.
An experiential perspective involves active exploration and experimentation in the present moment to develop awareness and discover new possibilities for expressing yourself, relating to others and responding to your experience.
Together, these perspectives form the foundation of contemporary Gestalt therapy: a holistic, relational and contextual approach to understanding human experience.
The video below by Robert W. Resnick, PhD offers an introduction to contemporary Gestalt therapy.
Client Outcomes
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Greater self-awareness and emotional clarity
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Stronger, more authentic relationships
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A deeper sense of self-acceptance and confidence
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Tools to navigate life’s challenges with intention and resilience
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Feeling more connected, grounded, and empowered
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From the Blog
I write about topics that are important to me and my work, including neurodivergence, relationships, wellbeing, and understanding ourselves and each other.
You may find something here that helps you make sense of your own experiences.
Have a read →
Book a session or get in touch
You’re welcome to reach out with any questions or to see whether working together might feel like a good fit.
Relational Home
Counselling & Psychotherapy
Mullumbimby · Newrybar · Online
Services · FAQ · Privacy
ABN 16 750 567 092
I live and work on Bundjalung Country, on unceded land. I acknowledge the Bundjalung people as the Traditional Custodians and honour their living connection to land, waters, and community. I recognise that colonisation is ongoing and continues to shape the field we all live within.
My practice is inclusive and affirming of LGBTQIA+ people, people with disabilities, and people from diverse cultural and neurodivergent backgrounds. I welcome people across different sexualities, gender identities, relationship structures and lived experiences, and aim to provide therapy that is respectful, accessible and responsive to individual needs. I recognise the impact that discrimination, stigma and barriers to inclusion can have on mental health and wellbeing.
last updated September, 2026