"Every visitor is a new star that makes our constellation even brighter": meeting psychologist Svetlana
The Place of Power has a special atmosphere of warmth and trust, and a significant part of this magic is created thanks to psychologist Svitlana. For almost a year now, she has been conducting her unique classes here, which have become favorites among our visitors. When creating each program, she invests not only her 14 years of experience as a psychologist, but also a deep understanding of what modern teenagers live and breathe.
"Even as a teenager, I began to explore my inner world", — recalls Svetlana. — "When I was 18, I worked at a camp with children for a while. That's when I realized that many of the things we try to cure can be prevented if we surround ourselves with interesting and reliable adults during adolescence.".
Having worked for a long time with both adults and children, Svitlana realized that her true calling was working with teenagers. "I enjoy working with them, my inner teenager gets great pleasure from the work. I remember myself at that age, what hurts you, what interests you, and I take this into account when I write my programs.", — the psychologist shares.
Svitlana notices how society's attitude towards psychological help is changing. Among teenagers, having their own psychologist has even become a kind of trend. According to Svitlana, Western culture has played a big role in this.
"They appreciate that everything we say stays between us – they know I won't tell my parents about our conversations. And it's also interesting that there's a new trend among teenagers: having their own psychologist is now considered cool, it gives them confidence among their peers."
According to her observations, the war added new challenges to work, but did not change the basic needs of teenagers. "Teenagers remained teenagers. Surprisingly, even those children who have had traumatic experiences most often come to us with purely teenage problems: lack of friends, first love, misunderstandings with parents.".
However, the full-scale invasion still affected the emotional state of the youth. "A child may be sad because their father is at the front, and at the same time, they may be worried that their friend has stopped communicating with them, and the background anxiety often envelops and adds to their irritability and confusion.", — says Svetlana. "All experiences are superimposed on each other, like little threads that intertwine with each other".
In her work, Svetlana uses unique techniques where every teenager can find an activity to their liking.
She conducts storytelling, where the most daring stories come to life on the pages, situational-communicative games with detective adventures, creative art installation classes, where teenagers work on their emotions. And for those looking for a special way of self-expression, Svitlana has developed phototherapy courses and a new format "Look and Draw."
Each of these classes has a specific methodology for working with teenagers. Let's take a closer look at them!
One of the most favorite activities among our visitors was storytelling. "I don't have any forbidden topics, so teenagers can create stories about anything that interests them. For example, some are fascinated by adventures or horror stories, while others strive to write about love and the feelings of heroes.", — says Svetlana. "This is a space where teenagers can release their emotions, develop their imagination and fantasy through history".
Situational-communicative game is a unique format of classes where therapy is skillfully intertwined with exciting adventures. Each time, participants find themselves in a new world: from space stations to mysterious magical forests.
"The teenagers really liked the detective line, so we conduct a lot of investigations. They have a great time and have fun, and in the process they get a therapeutic effect.".
The special thing about these games is that they encourage teenagers to engage in open dialogue. "The game is aimed at initiating discussion, because it raises such topics that it is impossible to remain silent. No matter how shy a teenager is, he will not notice how he starts talking in the process", — the psychologist shares.
The most interesting thing is that over time, some teenagers became so fascinated by the process that they began to help the psychologist create new scenarios and moderate the games.
"Later, we had participants who helped me moderate the process, they could explain the rules to new participants and sincerely encourage them to participate in the discussion. Teenagers sometimes give me ideas for the next locations and the game became our co-creation.".
In an art installation class, participants discover a new way of expressing emotions through art. "Not all teenagers can talk about or specify their experiences. Therefore, in the lesson, they experience these feelings through creativity, giving each emotion its place.", — explains Svetlana.
The process of creating an installation has its own structure. "At the beginning of the class, we talk and share the events of the week. Then together we choose the theme of the art installation, each participant can choose the part of the project they want to work on."In the process of collaborative creativity, something more than just a work of art is born. "Teenagers feel like they are part of something big", — adds the psychologist.
And for those who need silence, Svitlana invented the course "Look and Draw."
"It's a kind of quiet place where you can spend time in silence. Teenagers intuitively draw and watch meditative videos that set the mood for relaxation and creativity."According to her observations, after such classes, participants leave feeling particularly relaxed and calm.
A real discovery for teenagers was the phototherapy course. "My goal is to help everyone find their own unique vision of beauty", — shares Svetlana. "During classes, we learn to be attentive to details, explore space, and look for what resonates with us. When you see how different groups take completely different photos of the same places, you realize that each of us carries our own universe of beauty within us.".
Svetlana dispels the doubts of those who hesitate to join the Place of Power. "We have created a space of the highest level, where every psychologist is constantly developing and improving", she says. "But for teenagers, it's no less important that you can just be yourself here. No one will force you to talk, you can just observe, do what you like, and gradually feel like a part of our community.".
According to her, even regular visitors are always happy to see new faces, because: "Each new participant is a new star that makes our constellation even brighter".
In a time when teenagers face many challenges, professionals like Svitlana create a safe space for development and self-discovery. She is not just a psychologist — she is a guide to a world where every teenager can be themselves, find support, and unleash their potential!
To become part of this special community, look for Svitlana's classes at schedule on the website, and also follow the announcements of events in our social networks 😊
