Health professionals for Phobias in Heraklion

Panagiota Seferai is a licensed Psychologist - Psychotherapist specializing in Clinical Counseling, with experience in providing psychological support to children, adolescents, and adults, and conducts Online Psychotherapy sessions. She studied Psychology at the University of Derby (United Kingdom), where she completed both her undergraduate studies in Psychology and her postgraduate degree in Applied Clinical Counseling Psychology. She works in psychopedagogical settings, providing sessions for children and adolescents with autism, ADHD, learning difficulties, and other emotional or developmental disorders, as well as offering parent counseling. Concurrently, she works on an adult psychotherapy platform, offering support for anxiety disorders, enhancing self-regulation skills and mental resilience, applying cognitive-behavioral approaches and mindfulness techniques. Additionally, she has substantial experience in social institutions, where she provided psychological support, organized empowerment groups, and promoted social inclusion of vulnerable populations. She has been trained in specialized seminars on psychotherapy for autism, selective mutism, and the Marte Meo approach. The specialist approaches each therapeutic relationship with empathy and professionalism, tailoring interventions to the needs of each individual.

Η Ευτέρπη Κουρουκεχαγιά είναι Σύμβουλος Ψυχικής Υγείας και Προσωπικής Ανάπτυξης, με συνθετική προσέγγιση και ιδιαίτερη εξειδίκευση στη Συμβουλευτική Ζεύγους και τη Συμβουλευτική Γονέων. Διατηρεί ιδιωτικό γραφείο στη Βούλα και στο Χαλάνδρι, προσφέροντας παράλληλα τη δυνατότητα διαδικτυακών συνεδριών. Η 30ετής επιτυχημένη επαγγελματική της πορεία, τόσο σε θέσεις ευθύνης στη Διοίκηση Επιχειρήσεων και στη Διαχείριση Ανθρώπινου Δυναμικού σε μεγάλες πολυεθνικές εταιρείες, όσο και ως ιδιοκτήτρια επιχείρησης από νεαρή ηλικία, της έδωσε την ευκαιρία να γνωρίσει σε βάθος τους ανθρώπους, τις ανάγκες, τις προκλήσεις και τις δυνατότητες τους. Παράλληλα, απέκτησε ουσιαστική εμπειρία στη διαχείριση των ανθρώπων, στη διαχείριση και επίλυση συγκρούσεων και προβλημάτων, στην αποτελεσματική επικοινωνία, στη στοχοθεσία και στην επίτευξη στόχων. Μέσα από αυτή την πολύτιμη εμπειρία ανέπτυξε βαθιά κατανόηση των ανθρώπινων σχέσεων και των διαφορετικών αναγκών και δυνατοτήτων κάθε ανθρώπου, διαμορφώνοντας την ακλόνητη πεποίθηση ότι κάθε άνθρωπος διαθέτει μέσα του τη δύναμη και τους εσωτερικούς πόρους να ξεπεράσει τις δυσκολίες, να εξελιχθεί και να πετύχει τους στόχους του. Όταν νιώσει ότι βρίσκεται σε ένα ασφαλές, υποστηρικτικό και χωρίς κριτική περιβάλλον, με την κατάλληλη προσέγγιση μπορεί να ανακαλύψει τις δυνατότητες του και να ανθίσει με τον δικό του μοναδικό τρόπο.

Η εκπαίδευσή της είναι πολυδιάστατη και βασίζεται στην Ανασυνδυασμένη Εκλεκτική Συμβουλευτική, η οποία  περιλαμβάνει ένα ευρύ φάσμα ψυχοθεραπευτικών προσεγγίσεων, όπως η Γνωσιακή Συμπεριφορική Θεραπεία (CBT), η Ψυχοθεραπεία Gestalt, η Ψυχοδυναμική Συμβουλευτική, η Διαλεκτική Συμπεριφορική Θεραπεία (με έμφαση στην Οριακή Διαταραχή), η Συστημική Αναπαράσταση, η Δραματοθεραπεία, το Art Therapy και το NLP. Ανάμεσα σε άλλες εξειδικεύσεις της, περιλαμβάνονται η Διαχείριση Συναισθηματικού και Ψυχικού Τραύματος, η Ψυχολογία της Υγείας και η διαχείριση παθήσεων, η Ψυχοπαθολογία, καθώς και η Κλινική Ύπνωση.

Ιδιαίτερη έμφαση δίνει στο παιδί, τον έφηβο και την οικογένεια, διαθέτοντας εξειδικεύσεις και πιστοποιήσεις στην Παιδοψυχολογία, τη Σχολική Ψυχολογία, τις Σχολές Γονέων, τη Σεξουαλική Διαπαιδαγώγηση και Ψυχολογία των νεανικών σχέσεων, τις αιτίες και την αντιμετώπιση του Σχολικού Εκφοβισμού, καθώς και στη Συμβουλευτική για τη διαχείριση της Ψυχολογίας των νέων. Παράλληλα, στους τομείς της αυτοβελτίωσης και της καριέρας, είναι πιστοποιημένη Life Coach και έχει πιστοποιηθεί στη Θετική Ψυχολογία, (Mindfulness Meditation and Positive Psychology), στη Συμβουλευτική Σταδιοδρομίας και τον Επαγγελματικό Προσανατολισμό, στην ανάπτυξη στρατηγικών Coaching και Mentoring, καθώς και στην εκπαίδευση εκπαιδευτών και στελεχών.

Αναγνωρίζοντας τη βαθιά ευθύνη του ρόλου της απέναντι στους ανθρώπους που την εμπιστεύονται, η κ. Κουρουκεχαγιά επενδύει αδιάκοπα στη συνεχή της εκπαίδευση. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό, εκτός από τις σπουδές της στην Ψυχολογία στο London Metropolitan University, συνεχίζει να επιμορφώνεται διαρκώς, εμπλουτίζοντας τις γνώσεις και τις δεξιότητες της μέσα από νέες εκπαιδεύσεις και εξειδικεύσεις. Με γνώμονα την αυστηρή επαγγελματική δεοντολογία και την παροχή υπηρεσιών υψηλής ποιότητας, φροντίζει σταθερά για τη δική της ατομική και ομαδική θεραπεία, καθώς και για την κλινική της εποπτεία. Επιπροσθέτως, συμμετέχει ενεργά σε επαγγελματικούς φορείς, όπως η Ελληνική Εταιρεία Ανασυνδυασμένης Εκλεκτικής Συμβουλευτικής και ο Σύλλογος Συμβουλευτικής Coaching Mentoring Ελλάδας, παραμένοντας πλήρως ενημερωμένη για όλες τις σύγχρονες εξελίξεις στο πεδίο της συμβουλευτικής. 

Maria Xalepli is a Psychologist and Psychotherapist with a private practice in Ampelokipoi. She graduated with honors from the Psychology Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She holds a four-year specialization in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for adults (CBT) from the Society of Cognitive Behavioral Studies. Additionally, she has been trained by the same organization in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children and Adolescents. She has also obtained certification in "School Psychology" from EKKE, University of Patras. She has worked as a psychologist at the Day Center for the Homeless of the Municipality of Athens, providing psychosocial support to vulnerable and at-risk groups. She works in private psychotherapy centers providing psychological support to adults and adolescents. Furthermore, as part of her practicum, she worked as a psychologist at the Counseling Station of the Municipality of Petroupoli, where she addressed therapy requests for both adults and adolescents as well as parental counseling. Finally, in her office, she handles cases involving interpersonal relationships, anxiety disorders, phobias, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder management, and more.

Pleksousakis Dimitris is a Psychologist with a master's degree in Applied Clinical Psychology (MSc, University of Central Lancashire). He completed his undergraduate studies in Psychology (BSc, Wrexham Glyndwr University) and simultaneously trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) at the University of Crete.

His professional experience includes an internship at the Psychiatric Clinic of the University Hospital of Heraklion, where he worked with diverse clinical cases and developed skills in clinical assessment and therapeutic support.

As part of his ongoing education and specialization, he has attended seminars and programs related to sports psychology, psychodrama, psychotraumatology, and the cognitive-behavioral approach.

Thomaidi Paulina is a Psychologist – Psychotherapist, a regular member of the Hellenic Psychological Society (HPS), and maintains a private practice in Kypseli, Athens. She is a graduate of the Psychology Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and holds a postgraduate diploma in Forensic – Criminal Psychology from Coventry University. She trained in Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and has specialized in addressing issues related to anxiety, depression, personality disorders, as well as couples counseling and family therapy. She has consistently invested in her scientific development through numerous seminars and training programs covering topics such as trauma therapy, autoimmune diseases and mental health, domestic violence, and contemporary, revised guidelines for mental health treatment, ensuring that her services are based on the most reliable psychological practices. Academically, she has conducted research on the social stigma of LGBTQ+ community members, as well as on attitudes and behaviors toward sexual violence against women and double standards. She addresses issues of anxiety, depression, psychological trauma, eating disorders, addictions – dependencies, obsessive-compulsive disorders, personality disorders, and provides counseling services. Additionally, she offers couples and family counseling and therapy. Her treatment is LGBTQ+ friendly and tailored to cases of neurodiversity (ADHD, ASD, etc.).

BE YOU

Elena Apostolaki has dedicated her life to psychology and personal development—not merely as a professional choice, but as a personal journey of self-awareness and growth. She holds a degree in Psychology from Canterbury Christ Church University, with a specialization in Psychopathology through the Educational Group Evdokimos. She has been trained in Life Coaching at the University of West Attica and holds a Practitioner Coach certification from the international organization IAPCM. Additionally, she has completed studies in Counseling Intervention at the School of Personal Development and Therapy "Diodos." Currently, she is pursuing postgraduate studies at Aegean College, in collaboration with the University of Essex, continuously enhancing her theoretical and practical foundation in psychology. In her work, she integrates elements from Cognitive Psychology, the Person-Centered approach, and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) techniques, offering a safe and supportive environment for those who wish to: deepen their self-knowledge, recognize the barriers that limit them, and evolve with substance and authenticity.

Her philosophy is based on the belief that every person already possesses within themselves all they need to flourish—the only requirement is the appropriate environment, support, and guidance to discover and utilize these resources.

This is the purpose served by BE YOU:

A space for inner exploration, authentic connection, and personal transformation.

It does not tell anyone who to become—it helps each person remember who they truly are.

📍 Provides sessions in Heraklion, Crete and online, in Greek, English, and German, with respect, authenticity, and discretion.

BE YOU – because change begins from within.

Marketi Konstantina MSc is a Clinical Psychologist - Psychotherapist and conducts online individual psychotherapy sessions. She holds a degree in Applied Psychology from the University of Derby and a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology and Counseling from the same institution. Additionally, she has specialized in the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach, having completed the four-year program "Cognitive Psychotherapies Ioannis Papakostas" at the University Institute of Mental Health E.P.I.PSY. in collaboration with Aiginiteio Hospital. Concurrently, she worked as a Psychologist in various structures and organizations such as the Social Service of the Municipality of Metamorfosi, KETHEA STROFI, the NGO IASIS (Non-Profit Civil Company) where she worked with individuals with various psychosocial disorders, as well as a volunteer student counselor. Through the sessions, she provides psychological support to adults concerning issues related to anxiety disorders, panic attacks, phobias, depression, female empowerment, as well as matters related to interpersonal relationships.

Kaffetzakis Emmanouil is a Psychologist – Psychotherapist with a Psychoanalytic orientation and maintains a private practice in the center of Heraklion, Crete, where he conducts sessions for adults and adolescents. He is a member of the Borromean Knot Society of the New Lacanian School of Psychoanalysis in Greece and actively participates in its activities.

Psychoanalysis is an invitation to speak. Over time, each person's speech organizes around what is difficult or impossible for them to bear. They speak about their symptom. Lacanian psychoanalysis offers the possibility of inventing a new way to cope with their symptom, with the specific way they suffer. Through the discourse that the analysand addresses to the analyst, they can begin to find personalized and satisfactory solutions to old and repetitive modes of existence and reactions.

Zaxaropoulou Eleni is a Psychologist - Psychotherapist and maintains a private practice in Heraklion, Crete. She is a graduate of Luton University in England, specializing in Psychology with Health Studies, and holds a Master’s degree from Derby University in England in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy (MSc Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy). Since 2017, she has been a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). She possesses extensive and broad-ranging experience, having worked with organizations such as NELE as a public trainer, in KAPI (Open Care Centers for the Elderly), KIFI (Centers for the Care of the Elderly with Disabilities), and municipalities in the Heraklion Prefecture. She has served as a coordinator for parent schools in many schools in the city of Heraklion as well as in rural areas. Additionally, she has previously collaborated with various social structures, such as the Child Protection Center of Heraklion, providing counseling and psychological support to children, adolescents, and young girls who have been removed from their family environments. She has also worked in private and municipal kindergartens (KEPA), in the Creative Occupation Center (KDAP) of the Gorgolaini municipality, the CALCETTO football academy, and in elderly care units (Libyan and Friendly Hearth). She specializes in the integrative counseling and psychotherapy model, trauma therapy, and couples counseling. Since 1995, she has maintained a private practice in Heraklion, Crete, and understanding the demands of the modern era, she also conducts sessions via Skype. She works with adults, adolescents, and children, specializing in relationship problems, divorce, grief, anxiety, phobias, depression, self-awareness, self-improvement, obsessive-compulsive disorders, panic attacks, and psychosomatic issues. In parallel, she is active in individual counseling as well as marriage and family counseling.

Polyxronaki Panagiota is a clinical psychologist - psychotherapist providing online sessions.

She holds a degree from the Department of Psychology at the University of Crete and a master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Leiden University, Netherlands. She has been trained in the Cognitive Behavioral Approach by the Society of Cognitive Behavioral Studies.

She is certified in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, has completed the one-year postgraduate program in Clinical Psychopathology at the 1st Psychiatric Clinic of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and the Research University Mental Health Institute (EPISY), as well as holding a diploma in Coaching from UGROW and the Positive Psychology Society.

In parallel, she has attended numerous specialized trainings and continually pursues her professional development through supervision and ongoing education.

Regarding her professional training, she completed her internship as part of her postgraduate studies at the Psychiatric Clinic of the University Hospital of Heraklion and at the Alzheimer Day Center "Nefeli". Additionally, she completed an internship at the Student Counseling Center of NKUA, providing therapeutic support to students.

She works privately, providing sessions to adults and adolescents.

If you are experiencing anxiety, internal pressure, or difficulties in your relationships, it may be time to connect more closely with what you are going through.

Psychotherapy is not merely a problem-solving process—it is a space of understanding where you can give meaning to your experiences and create meaningful change.

Dimitrios Tolidis is a B.Sc Psychologist – M.Sc in Clinical and Dynamic Psychology, working with adults and couples, providing a safe and stable therapeutic environment.

His therapeutic approach emphasizes:

• understanding emotional patterns

• exploring relationships

• and processing traumatic experiences

The work is based on an integrative approach, centered on psychodynamic understanding and elements of psychotraumatology, tailored to the pace and needs of each individual.

Sessions are conducted in person in Heraklion, Crete, and online.

Understanding begins within us.

Maria Kontaksaki is a Systemic Mental Health Counselor, certified in Systemic Psychotherapy, with a private practice in Gazi, Heraklion. She works with individuals, couples, and families seeking to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationships, offering a framework of safety, acceptance, and trust. Her goal is to create a warm and supportive environment where each person can freely express themselves, process their difficulties, and discover new ways of connection and communication. Through the therapeutic process, self-awareness, emotional insight, and the capacity for meaningful and authentic relationships are enhanced. She has experience in individual counseling, couples counseling, and family therapy, and has also been involved in coordinating therapeutic groups. Additionally, she has completed clinical training under supervision and actively participates as a scientific collaborator in mental health institutions. She has attended and participated in numerous conferences, seminars, and trainings related to counseling, couples therapy, trauma, and the systemic approach, and is engaged in community support and group coordination activities. Her approach is based on systemic thinking, emphasizing relationships, interaction patterns, and the broader context in which the individual lives and evolves.

The INTERNUS counseling and psychotherapy center, led by clinical psychologist Mr. Kargakis Emmanouil - Internus, maintains offices in Heraklion, Rethymno, Chania, and Athens, offering a wide range of services concerning treatment, rehabilitation, prevention, and promotion of mental health, primarily based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Mr. Kargakis, a graduate of the Department of Psychology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with postgraduate studies in Clinical and Counseling Psychology at La Salle University of Philadelphia, and his experienced associates, supported by a modern and continuous framework of supervision, training, and professional development through attendance at national and international psychology conferences, ensure the provision of the most advanced mental health services. Over the years, our center has developed activities and collaborations with various organizations such as SOS Children's Villages, O.E.V.E.N.H, O.E.V.E.N.X, secondary education tutoring centers, schools of various levels, sports clubs, educational seminars for the general public, appearances on television and radio programs, and contributions to local blogs. Sessions are conducted by appointment either in person or online.

Lila Karali is a Psychologist, an honor graduate of the Department of Psychology at the University of Crete (BSc), licensed to practice professionally. She has an academic background in the natural sciences (Chemistry-BSc, MSc), and a postgraduate diploma in Bioethics (MA). Her interdisciplinary education enhances her ability to bridge the biological and psychological perspectives, focusing on a comprehensive understanding of the human experience. She possesses clinical experience with the adult population and has specialized in Systemic Psychotherapy (a four-year training program), promoting the understanding of the self in relation to significant life systems (family, work, society). Additionally, she has training and experience in Compassion Focused Therapy to alleviate psychological distress related to persistent shame and self-criticism. Her therapeutic practice emphasizes the autonomy and values of each individual.