Hello. I am Lola. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Oregon, which is fancy for “I went to a graduate school, then completed the required number of supervision and practice hours and successfully passed a knowledge test.” I am an immigrant and I offer therapy in Russian and English. I believe that human beings are infinitely resilient and sometimes even the strongest amongst us need a little support.

You do not need to lay on the couch with your eyes closed while telling me every single painful story that you carry within you (thanks, every Hollywood movie ever made). Unless you WANT to lay down and close your eyes. Therapy with me is more of a conversation, where I might suggest for you to notice what you have been successfully pushing aside. Yes, yes, your emotions and needs and that you haven’t had anything to eat all day. I might give you recommendations on the actions that you might take or ask you to slow down, just for the 55-ish minutes that we spend together. Sometimes, I might tell you to go grab a glass of water and a snack. You have been warned.

I also listen, not just to the words that you are saying, but their underlying meaning and to what you are NOT saying. I do not have any superpowers (I wish!) - I am just trained to pay attention to very specific things. You might also expect nerdy references, recommendations to watch movies, read books, and engage with art. Therapy can be fun and I try to have a balance of working on the pain points and noticing joyful moments.

I am a feminist and root my practice in anti-oppressive values. Which means that I do recognize the impact of patriarchy, colonialism, racism, and homophobia on all of us. Yes, even if you are a straight white male, you have experienced systemic impact of all of the above. You do not have to share the same beliefs, we can have a polite discourse.