Olga Kotnowska

Olga Kotnowska
 Counselling & Psychotherapy 

Olga is a kind, compassionate and curious therapist. She prioritises attuning to each individual’s place/moment along their journey of life; from here the sessions take shape. She centres her sessions around the particular needs, desires, curiosities, edges and goals of the individual.

Primarily trained in Gestalt Psychotherapy, Olga works from a dynamic relational lens, which supports an increase in one’s awareness and authentic expression. This often includes taking a “deeper look inside”, with the support of the therapist.

Olga is interested in understanding the broader contexts in one’s life struggles. Together with the client, Olga seeks to clarify the kinds of changes that clients wish for themselves in their lives. Immediate, current and past situations are often explored. This kind of exploration is interested in the whole of a person, which includes all of their parts:  the shiny parts, the scarred parts, the loud parts, the obnoxious parts, the charming parts, and the parts still sitting in the shadows, just to name a few. Olga welcomes them all.

Olga is also a practicing art psychotherapist, a modality which she draws upon when needed. Moreover, Olga is informed by developmental trauma, attachment and humanistic theories. 

Within the therapeutic relationship, Olga positions herself as a fellow human being, another curious mind in the room, which draws upon evidence-based practice, her education, as well as her lived experience as an individual living in this complicated society. Olga endeavours to offer a service which is in integrity with her passion and respect for other human beings.

Qualifications:

Foundational Studies in Gestalt Psychotherapy (Gestalt Therapy Australia)

Masters of Art Therapy (Latrobe)

Master of Science Communication in Nonfiction Creative Writing (Otago University, New Zealand)

Diploma of Creative Writing (Melbourne University)

Bachelor of Animal Science (Melbourne University)