Dr. Yulia I. Shtareva, Psy.D. | Prov. Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Austin, TX

I offer evidence-based psychotherapy and psychological testing for adults and couples aged 19+. My approach integrates a relational, experiential, and holistic lens with modern neuroscience, trauma theory, and diagnostic evaluations.

I work with folks struggling with anxiety, complex trauma, relationship distress, work stress, neurodivergence-related challenges, or meaning loss; helping clients move beyond survival toward a life worth living.

My Approach

My work is trauma-focused, insight-oriented, somatically-informed, and grounded in the belief that we are interconnected beings to each other and ourselves - our geography, family, cultural history, physical health, philosophy, behaviors, etc., all make up who we are and who we are becoming. In therapy, this means I consider your mind, body, and environment as working in tandem, and therefore needing to be understood as a system, not separately. Together, we’ll explore how these “biopsychosocial” factors have shaped your life outcomes, emotions, decisions, and relationships.

Clients describe my style as nurturing, genuine, directive, thorough, and data-driven.

I bring a blend of warmth and science into each session - integrating emotional attunement with measurable progress through both validated and informal screeners. I care to clarify diagnoses and use psychological evaluations to guide treatment and track the impact of therapy on your everyday life. If you’ve completed a neuropsychological evaluation in the past, I may integrate those findings into your treatment plan.

I integrate the following therapeutic approaches:

  • EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy) EMDRIA-approved (training is ongoing)

  • Relational & experiential psychodynamic therapy (also known as AEDP)

  • PACT couples therapy (Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy)

  • IFS (Internal Family Systems) & Parts Work

  • Behavioral & Cognitive therapies (ACT, DBT, CBT, and exposure-therapies like PE, ERP, CPT)

  • Attachment-focused therapy

I may not use all modalities with every client, but having these tools available offers my clients many options to go from insight into embodied and empowering change.

For interested clients who are diagnostically cleared to accelerate traditional talk therapy with medically supervised ketamine infusions, I offer structured therapy sessions before, during, and/or after ketamine treatments at a local medical clinic for a powerful, synergistic therapeutic effect that speeds up the process of mental health healing and change on both a physical and psychological level.

Why Relational-Experiential Therapy?

At the core of my therapy approach is a relational-experiential style and philosophy. Research consistently shows that hands-on, relational therapies create longer-lasting change than short-term talk therapies like CBT or short-term exposure therapies alone. See my FAQs page to learn more. When clients engage in long-term, relational, and experiential work, they can:

  • Identify the root causes of anxiety, shame, addiction, or self-sabotage

  • Break old patterns in real time through corrective emotional and relational experiences with their therapist

  • Strengthen self-awareness, emotional regulation, and capacity for relational ruptures and stressors

  • Be safely witnessed and held accountable to accomplish their goals by a professional counselor

Background & Research

My doctoral dissertation was the first in the world to identify the psychological cycle of authoritarianism, showing that high-control social environments unconsciously shape identities across generations, create psychological rigidity, and fuel emotional suppression. This research is deeply personal to me as a refugee from the former Soviet Union, and it informs how I help clients from high-control families, religions, and cultures understand their own challenges and make positive changes to break free from these cycles. Additionally, with a scientifically-proven rise in authoritarianism across the world, I believe this research is timely in a world gripped by division, fear, and political turmoil.

Currently, I practice psychology under the clinical supervision of Dr. Krista Jordan, Ph.D., ABPP, a board-certified clinical psychologist and attachment-trauma specialist, and I continually update my training and education to integrate the most effective relational and neuroscience-based interventions into my practice.

Education & Training Highlights

  • Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, Antioch University Seattle

  • M.A. in Psychology, Antioch University Seattle

  • B.A. in Psychology, Northwest University

  • Past training settings: University Counseling Center; Forensic Psychological Evaluations; Primary Care (Behavioral Health), Behavioral Health Hospital (Inpatient and Intensive Outpatient services for Serious Mental Illnesses)

  • Current training: EMDRIA Approved EMDR Basic Training

  • Providing psychotherapy and psychological testing since 2021 under doctoral-level supervision

Specialties

  • Complex and childhood trauma

  • Family and cultural challenges

  • Anxiety

  • ADHD

  • Intergenerational and transgenerational trauma (emphasis on political and religious trauma)

The majority of my clients are from minority racial backgrounds and groups such as Jewish-American, South Asian (i.e., Indian), and Slavic (i.e., Russian/Ukrainian).

Professional Community Memberships

  • American Psychological Association (APA) (member #00259319 since 2017)

    • APA Division 055 Society for Prescribing Psychology

      APA Division 056 Trauma Psychology

  • Austin Therapy Networking Group

I also speak…

Russian

Religion

Secular and non-religious

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What It’s Like to Work with Me

Therapy with me is collaborative, genuine, and transparent. I value your feedback and adjust our work continuously based on your needs, consultation, and evidence-based practice.

I offer support between sessions via text, phone or online when clinically appropriate. I refer to trusted professionals and specialties when clinically indicated. My role is to help you connect your psychological, physical, and relational health so that improvement in one area strengthens all others.

Personal Note

I was born in Moscow, Russia but raised in the Pacific Northwest after my family immigrated as political refugees in the 1990’s. My multicultural upbringing gives me a deep appreciation for how culture, migration, and ideology shape identity. My dissertation was built on my lived experience as a descendant of authoritarian regimes, and I believe this positions me uniquely to understand and connect with people from Jewish, Persian, Chinese, and Indian cultures and backgrounds. Visit my Publications page to read my research paper.

Outside of psychology, I reconnect with my creative roots through singing and dance, and recharge through exercise, nature, saunas, cold therapy and time with my husband and our cats, Pumba & Jasper. I believe creativity, love, and movement are vital to mental health, and I bring that philosophy into my therapeutic approach.

Connect

I offer in-person sessions in Austin, TX and life coaching nationwide.

Click “Book Consult” or send me a secure text message to speak with me today: 512.957.9628

Follow my educational community on Instagram: @dryulia_