Hannah-Valeria Grishko - Psychotherapist and Sandplay Therapist

Cross cultural focus of my therapy practice is fundamental to all that I offer as a therapist.  My informed and specialized knowledge of challenges that can arise in the process of immigration and transition is what distinguishes my work and allows me to help to foster resilience, to create new levels of awareness and to make healthy choices.  Complex issues of identity, dealing with conflicting emotions and behaviours as well as creating meaningful friendships in the international environmentlie at the core of this life-changing experience for children who move or who have grown up in a country or countries different to their birth place.  Working with Third Culture kids requires not only a solid understanding of child development, but also a nuanced understanding issues of identify, adjustment and immigration.  My ability to address these complex dynamics is enhanced by being able to speak English, French and Russian fluently.

Immigration can act as an stressor for a family or a couple in a new and unprecedented way, but it can also become an opportunity to define new ways of relating with each other.  Often challenges that seemed to have been resolved or seemingly forgotten can feel resurrected after moving.  I have successfully worked with couples and families to reduce family conflict following the transition, improve communication and learn new ways of supporting one another.  Additionally, I have worked for many years with parents to help them enhance their parenting skills and adjust their ways of interacting with their children to better reflect the child’s current developmental and emotional state.

I am able to offer a highly individualized therapeutic approach in English, French or Russian tailored to each person’s needs and wishes. My international work is based on extensive psychotherapeutic training and 20 years of experience in different settings in USA, UK and Israel.  Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from University of Chicago and Master’s Degree from New York University provided solid academic basis for my further clinical training.  During my years of practice in New York, I completed a 3 year post-graduate program from the In-Service Institute in Mental Health and Psychotherapy. My continued professional development in the United Kingdom included neurophysiology of trauma and attachment, Narrative Therapy, Analytical Psychology and Jungian Sandplay Therapy, which I incorporate in my work based on psychodynamic and family systems principles.  There is no one way to work in therapy, and I try to always find the approach that fits best for the issues at hand.  Among many concerns, people come to me to get help with their traumatic experiences, including abuse, anxiety and depression, loss and bereavement, emotional and behavioural challenges in children, a sense of loss of meaning in life and a search for a direction.

My personal experience of moving abroad as an adolescent brings a deeper level of understanding of the issues of loss, adjustment to a new environment and complex personal identity that international and expat families face.  Adapting to a new culture when moving from the Ukraine to the United States, France, the UK  and Israel has become an integral part of who I am as a person and as a therapist.  I naturally and quickly understand the issues that Third Culture Kids are facing, which allows me to relate to this particular group of children more easily and comfortably. These experiences have enriched my skills in working with Third Culture Kids and their families.  Working in an international school in London as a school counsellor added another layer of skill in this work.

Additionally, I am a Teaching Member of The Israeli Sandplay Therapists Association and International Society for Sandplay Therapy, which is the highest level of training in Jungian Sandplay. This unique and creative therapy allows children and adults to express themselves using sand, water and miniature objects in addition to talking.  It also allows to get to difficult issues and dilemmas from a completely different angle, sometimes surprising us with the new and helpful understanding that emerges.  This ability to engage our brain and imagination allows us to tap into our resources that are not always accessible simply using cognition and verbal exchange. While this method is particularly inviting for children, it is equally effective for adults. You can learn more about my presentations and publications in this area at https://www.facebook.com/valeriagrishkotherapy/ and www.valeriagrishko-therapy.com

This this feels like a possible fit, I welcome you getting in touch.  I remain available for an initial informal phone or virtual conversation if that feels more comfortable prior to engaging further. 

In addition to working in Jerusalem, I am planning to offer appointments in central Tel Aviv in the near future.