Health professionals for Sadness and distress in Athens

Vavassori Nina is a Psychologist who maintains a private practice in the Panormou area, offering sessions with adults and adolescents both in-person and online. She is fluent in Greek, English, and French, facilitating the therapeutic relationship in multicultural settings and with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. She studied Psychology at DEREE – The American College of Greece and holds a master's degree in Applied Clinical Psychology from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom. Since 2020, she has been training in Systemic Family and Group Psychotherapy at the Athens Center for the Study of Man (ACMA). Her professional experience as a Psychologist includes working in schools with children and adolescents, providing psychological support in a hospital setting, as well as volunteering for telephone support services related to domestic violence. Currently, she also works as a Psychologist in a multinational company and privately sees adolescents and adults for both in-person and online sessions.

Mpagourdi Maria, BSc, MSc is a Clinical Psychologist who conducts sessions online. She graduated in Psychology from Cardiff Metropolitan University (BSc) and holds a Master's Degree (MSc) in Clinical Counselling Psychology from the University of Derby. She has completed specialized training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Art Therapy, and the management of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CCTP-I & II). Since 2023, she has been training in Art Psychotherapy – Behavior Analysis at the Psychotherapy and Art Center "Synothisi," and from 2025 she will continue her professional development through the Panhellenic Society of Cognitive Analytic Psychotherapy (P.E.G.A.P.), as part of her training in Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT). Her professional experience includes significant work in mental health facilities such as the Piraeus Naval Hospital, Care Units for the Elderly specializing in dementia and Alzheimer's disease, cancer patient counseling programs (e.g., "Stay Strong"), and special education centers. She provides individual and group sessions to children, adolescents, and adults, and has been actively involved in psycho-educational programs and parent counseling. She combines theoretical training with practical experience to support a variety of psychological needs, with particular emphasis on trauma therapy and strengthening emotional resilience. Finally, she is a founding member of the Panhellenic Association of Art Therapists.

Η Περσεφόνη Λαφαζάνη σπούδασε Ψυχολογία στο Πανεπιστήμιο Κρήτης. Είναι κάτοχος άδειας άσκησης επαγγέλματος ψυχολόγου με αριθμό 62699 και κάτοχος μεταπτυχιακού τίτλου στην Κλινική Ψυχολογία από το Πανεπιστήμιο της Ουτρέχτης, με έμφαση στη Γνωσιακή Συμπεριφορική Θεραπεία. Επίσης, έχει ολοκληρώσει την τετραετή εκπαίδευση στη Συστημική ψυχοθεραπεία στο Κε.Συ.Θ.Ε.Σ. Στα πλαίσια πρακτικής άσκησης έχει συνεργαστεί με το κέντρο ψυχικής υγείας ΕΣΤΙΑΖΩ και με το Ινστιτούτο Παιδιών και Ενηλίκων Π. Σακελλαρόπουλος. Στα πλαίσια εθελοντισμού, έχει εργαστεί ως ψυχολόγος, στην Εταιρεία Κοινωνικής Ψυχιατρικής και Ψυχικής Υγείας Π. Σακελλαρόπουλος στο τμήμα των Προστατευόμενων Διαμερισμάτων, συμμετέχοντας στην κοινωνική ενσωμάτωση ενηλίκων με ψυχικές διαταραχές και ψυχοκοινωνικά προβλήματα

Επίσης, έχει εργαστεί στη συμβουλευτική γραμμή του Ινστιτούτου Ψυχικής και Σεξουαλικής Υγείας και υπήρξε ψυχοθεραπεύτρια στο Athens Behavior Clinic.

Συμπληρωματικά, ήταν εισηγήτρια στο Ψυχοεκπαιδευτικό Πρόγραμμα για την Ανάπτυξη Επαγγελματικής Ταυτότητας Φοιτητών Ψυχολογίας με βάση τη Θεωρία Διαλογικού Εαυτού που διεξήχθη από το Πανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων σε συνεργασία με το Εθνικό Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών.

Επί του παρόντος, συνεργάζεται με το Ινστιτούτο Παιδιών και Ενηλίκων Π. Σακελλαρόπουλος στη Μονάδα Ψυχιατρικής Περίθαλψης στο Σπίτι του Ασθενούς, ενώ παράλληλα εργάζεται ιδιωτικά με άτομα ζευγάρια και οικογένειες, αξιοποιώντας τη συστημική θεωρία και πρακτική.

Iosifina Aslanopoulou BSc, MSc, NLP, Reiki is a Psychologist - Psychotherapist and maintains a private practice in Syntagma. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology (BSc) from the State University of New York – Empire State College, as well as a Master's degree (MSc) in Person-Centered Psychotherapy from the University of Central Lancashire. She has specialized in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), holding certifications as an NLP Practitioner, Timeline Therapy Practitioner, and Hypnosis Practitioner from the Hellenic NLP Academy. Additionally, she has trained in Reiki (Usui Shiki Ryoho) up to the second level, within the framework of the Usui System of Natural Healing.

She works as a Psychologist - Psychotherapist, maintaining a private practice in Syntagma. In the context of her professional activity, she provides psychological support and psychotherapy services, aiming to enhance the mental resilience and personal development of her clients.

Mpousmpoureli Stefania is a Psychologist - Systemic Psychotherapist, with postgraduate studies in Neuroscience from the University of Sydney. She completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology at the University of Surrey and continues to train in Systemic Psychotherapy at the Multidisciplinary Psychotherapeutic Center "Synghiseis." She has worked as a Research Assistant at the University of Surrey and as a Corporate Wellness Consultant at Travelgems. To date, she volunteers as a Psychologist at milamou.gr and serves as a Psychologist - Retreat Coordinator at the international organization "Enrich Global." In private practice, she provides psychotherapeutic support to adults, adolescents, and couples, focusing on relationships, anxiety, self-awareness, and communication improvement. Her goal is to understand personal and family dynamics within a safe and supportive framework.

Giorgos Rossonis is a Psychotherapist - Mental Health Counselor with private practices in Pagkrati and Kifisia. He holds a degree from the Department of Philosophy, Pedagogy, and Psychology with a specialization in Psychology from the University of Ioannina. He possesses a Diploma in Counseling Skills from the Athens Synthesis Center and has completed postgraduate training in Integrative Psychotherapy at the same Center. Additionally, he has attended training programs on "Learning Disabilities and Counseling Skills for Specialists and Educators" and "Contemporary Issues in Child Psychiatry" at the General Children's Hospital "P. & A. Kyriakou." He has completed his internship in numerous groups both abroad and domestically within the alcohol detoxification program at the 10th Alcoholics DAFNI. Furthermore, he has worked as a Counselor on the 24-hour psychological support line for the armed forces at the Inter-Branch Mental Health Center of the Armed Forces, as well as in the Wishes Department of Make-A-Wish Greece. Finally, he is a member of the European Society of Integrative Psychotherapy and the Hellenic Society of Integrative Counseling and Psychotherapy. As a psychotherapist, he is dedicated to helping individuals on their journey toward self-discovery, confronting their fears, and progressing toward self-actualization.

Niki Sofoulaki is a Social Worker and Systemic Psychotherapist, maintaining a private office in Ilisia. She trained in Systemic Psychotherapy at the Εργαστήριο Διερεύνησης Ανθρώπινων Σχέσεων and has been working since 2018 supporting individuals and families. She deeply believes that every person has within them the capacity for growth. As a systemic therapist, she approaches each session through the lens of relationships, how we were raised, which beliefs we inherited, and how we learn to belong.

Throughout her professional journey, she has worked therapeutically with individuals who have experienced deep traumatic experiences, anxiety, depression, issues related to self-awareness, and more. Her work is based on connection, trust, and acceptance, through an open dialogue with the individual(s), providing the necessary space and time they need. The systemic approach is applied in individual sessions, couples therapy, family therapy, and groups, depending on the needs and goals of the individual(s), with respect for each person’s pace and the uniqueness of every relationship.

Since 2018, she has been actively involved in the field of mental health, while her private practice began in 2021, where she provides psychotherapy sessions and counseling to individuals and families. Having had the opportunity to meet and support people at very different stages of their lives, her professional journey began in NGOs, where she worked with vulnerable social groups. She provided counseling support aimed at social reintegration, helping people gradually regain a sense of safety and connection with their support systems. She has also worked clinically in a Day Center for individuals with psychosis and related disorders. There, she coordinated therapeutic rehabilitation groups, in which the group functioned as a field of relationship, interaction, and meaning-making of experience, supporting functionality, daily life, and the reconnection of individuals with their social role, while at the same time providing individual psychotherapeutic support to people facing mental health difficulties. This experience taught her in depth how important it is to see the person beyond the diagnosis, within the system of relationships, experiences, and meanings that surround them.

In addition, alongside her private office, she also works in an adolescent and family unit. There, she supports young people experiencing intense emotional difficulties, while also providing family psychotherapy sessions, aiming to empower the entire system and restore bonds within the family framework.

Ο Χώρος Ψυχικής Υγείας MindΒloom γεννήθηκε από το όραμα της κλινικής ψυχολόγου και ψυχοθεραπεύτριας Φωτεινής Καναλουπίτη για την δημιουργία ενός ασφαλούς χώρου, ο οποίος να διακρίνεται από τις αξίες της συμπεριληπτικότητας, της συνεργατικότητας, της απο-παθολογικοποίησης, της άνευ όρων αποδοχής, της ειλικρινούς ενσυναίσθησης και του σεβασμού στη διαφορετικότητα. Σήμερα η ομάδα του χώρου MindBloom απαρτίζεται από τέσσερις επαγγελματίες ψυχικής υγείας, τη Φωτεινή Καναλουπίτη, τη Δανάη Γιαννακοπούλου, τη Δήμητρα Ζαφειροπούλου και τη Μαρίνα Μιχαλάτου, που τις ενώνει η κοινή αξία για την παροχή εξειδικευμένων επιστημονικών υπηρεσιών χωρίς διακρίσεις, σε ένα πλαίσιο που η θεραπεία και η κοινωνική δικαιοσύνη είναι αλληλένδετες. Τα μέλη της ομάδας του Mindbloom είναι ξεχωριστά διαπιστευμένες σε τέσσερις διαφορετικές ψυχοθεραπευτικές προσεγγίσεις: Θεραπεία Σχημάτων, Προσωποκεντρική προσέγγιση, Γνωσιακή-Συμπεριφοριστική Θεραπεία και Αφηγηματική Θεραπεία. Αυτό, σε συνδυασμό με την ποικιλία στην εκπαιδευτική εξειδίκευση και την εργασιακή εμπειρία του κάθε μέλους της ομάδας, επιτρέπει την κάλυψη εύρους θεραπευτικών αιτημάτων (δυσκολίες στις διαπροσωπικές σχέσεις, διαχείριση ψυχιατρικών διαγνώσεων και συμπτωμάτων, παροχή υποστήριξης στην εξάρτηση και διασύνδεση με σχετικούς φορείς, υποστήριξη στην εξερεύνηση της ταυτότητας φύλου και της σεξουαλικότητας, υποστήριξη γονεϊκού ρόλου, κ.α.). Η διαδικασία για την έναρξη συνεδριών στον χώρο MindBloom βασίζεται στην λήψη βασικών πληροφοριών για το ενδιαφερόμενο άτομο και το θεραπευτικό του αίτημα ώστε να του προταθεί η επαγγελματίας που κρίνεται πιο κατάλληλη και έμπειρη για την υποστήριξή του με βάση τις εξατομικευμένες ανάγκες του.

Λίγα λόγια για τη συντονίστρια της ομάδας του MindBloom:

Η Φωτεινή Καναλουπίτη είναι Kλινική Ψυχολόγος - Ψυχοθεραπεύτρια MSC. Σπούδασε και εργάστηκε στην Ολλανδία (BA,University of Groningen- MSC Clinical Psychology, University of Leiden) ενώ εκπαιδεύτηκε στην Θεραπεία Σχημάτων (Λονδίνο, British Psychological Society,Part 1) και στις Διατροφικές Διαταραχές (Αθήνα, Κέντρο Εκπαίδευσης Διατροφικών Διαταραχών και British Psychological Society). Η πρώτη της εμπειρία σαν θεραπεύτρια έλαβε χώρα στην εταιρία Antiloneliness (Χάγη και Λάιντεν, 2018) όπου εργάστηκε υποστηρίζοντας άτομα από όλο τον κόσμο τα οποία αντιμετώπιζαν δυσκολίες προσαρμογής, σχέσεων, ψυχιατρικές διαταραχές κ.α. ενώ παράλληλα έλαβε και την πρώτη της εκπαίδευση ως Ψυχοθεραπέυτρια. Η κλινική της εκπαίδευση συνεχίστηκε στον φορέα ΚΛΙΜΑΚΑ (Αθήνα, 2020), όπου εργάστηκε για περίπου δύο χρόνια αποκτώντας εμπειρία στην ψυχοπαθολογία και κυρίως στον αυτοκτονικό ιδεασμό, στηρίζοντας άτομα με ψυχιατρικές διαταραχές και τελώντας εικοσιτετράωρες εφημερίες στην Εθνική Γραμμή για την Πρόληψη της Αυτοκτονίας (1018). Οι σπουδές της αλλά και η εμπειρία της με ανθρώπους από όλο τον κόσμο, της έδωσαν την ευκαιρία να χρησιμοποιεί ένα ολιστικό μοντέλο θεραπείας τόσο διαφορετικό και δυναμικό, όσο και η ανθρώπινη φύση. Στο μοντέλο αυτό υπάρχουν στοιχεία από την Θεωρία Σχημάτων, η οποία έχει αποτελέσει την βασική της ψυχοθεραπευτική προσέγγιση, την Γνωσιακή Συμπεριφοριστική Θεραπεία, την Gestalt, και πολλά άλλα. Στόχος της, είναι η συνεχής ενημέρωση και γνώση νέων εργαλείων προσανατολισμένων στην ανακούφιση και υποστήριξη. Ο άνθρωπος είναι κατεξοχήν δυναμικό όν, αλλάζει, προσαρμόζεται και εξελίσσεται. Έτσι ακριβώς αντιλαμβάνεται το θεραπευτικό ταξίδι και αποτελεί έναν από τους σημαντικότερους λόγους που την γοήτευσε και συνεχίζει να την γοητεύει.

Petrou Vilma MSc is a Psychologist - Psychotherapist and conducts online sessions. She graduated from the Department of Psychology at Panteion University of Athens with honors. She has held a professional practice license since 2021 and has specialized in stress management and anxiety disorders through the postgraduate program "Science of Stress and Health Promotion" at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Her psychotherapeutic approach is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), in which she was trained through the four-year training program of the Institute for Research and Behavioral Therapy (IEΘS). Simultaneously, through her participation in a holistic stress management and lifestyle change program for heroin-dependent users at the OKANA Unit of Sismanogleio Hospital, she gained valuable experience in the management of addictions, providing both individual and group sessions. In recent years, she has worked with children, adolescents, and adults, offering psychotherapy and counseling on issues such as anxiety disorders, depression, emotional difficulties, and interpersonal relationship challenges. Her experience includes individual adult sessions (both in-person and online), as well as sessions with children and adolescents through her collaboration with Special Therapy Centers. Her goal is to tailor the techniques she applies to the individualized needs of each client, aiming to improve their mental health and quality of life.

Pantelopoulou Xristina is a Psychologist - Psychotherapist and maintains a private practice in Galatsi. She is a graduate of the Department of Psychology at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences. She has completed training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and specializes in grief and loss counseling. Additionally, she has attended the postgraduate seminar in Clinical Psychopathology "Panagiotis Oulis" at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, as well as numerous educational programs and seminars in the field of mental health and addictions. She has worked in public and private mental health organizations, such as the Organization Against Drugs (OKANA), municipal kindergartens, and community centers. Finally, the specialist provides psychotherapeutic support to adults and adolescents in her private practice.

Nikoleta Ilda Vlassi is a Mental Health Counselor, Psychotherapist with a Integrative Approach,and Energy Healing Practitioner with over ten years of experience in personal development and psychosomatic balance. Her therapeutic journey began in adolescence, when in 1993 she was first introduced to the Silva Mind Control method, marking the start of a deep inner path of self-discovery that continues to this day. Since 2007, she has been an active member of a meditation group in Spain, where she deepens her practice in meditation and intuitive work, studying the unified science of the endouniverse developed by Jean-Paul Appel-Guerry. Her approach is holistic and integrative, combining elements of psychotherapy with energy techniques, guided meditation, psychospiritual shamanism, and experiential ritual practices. She draws inspiration from the work of Alejandro Jodorowsky and his psychospiritual shamanism, as well as from approaches such as systemic constellations and drama therapy, while also integrating the power of art, expression, and the body as tools for inner processing and healing.Born in Greece to a father from Corfu and a mother from Ecuador, she developed early on a multicultural and expansive perspective on human and spiritual development. She has lived and traveled in multiple countries, and for a period ran a meditation center in Ecuador, coordinating both in-person and online groups with participants from Latin American countries including Mexico, Peru, and Argentina. She has also been active in the arts through music, singing, theater, and performance, integrating creative expression into her therapeutic work. Today, she offers individual psychotherapy and energy sessions, guided meditations, and experiential self-awareness practices, both online and in-person, supporting individuals from diverse cultural and personal backgrounds on their journey toward mental balance and personal growth.