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

There's a version of you that isn't carrying all of this. Perhaps you have become discontent with yourself or your romantic relationships, uncertain of your passions, or hopeless about the future. You may find yourself overusing social media, Amazon, chatbots, fantasies, sex, or substances to experience relief, but it's not enough for lasting change. Maybe you have already tried therapy, medications, or other self-care strategies, but they were not enough to solve the underlying issue. Perhaps this time, it can be different. With the right kind of help, the cycle can stop repeating.

I offer evidence-based psychotherapy and psychological testing for adults and couples aged 19+. I love the perspective that, at its core, therapy is about “undoing aloneness” (Diana Fosha, PhD). My approach integrates a relational, experiential, and holistic lens with modern neuroscience, trauma theory, life coaching, and diagnostic evaluations.

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 draw on the following therapy orientations:

• EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy)

• Relational psychodynamic & experiential therapies (e.g., AEDP, attachment-focused, etc)

• 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)

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.

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.

Why Relational-Experiential Therapy?

At the core of my therapy approach is a relational-experiential philosophy of change. 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

Supplemental Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

For interested clients (who are diagnostically cleared by a medical professional), accelerating traditional talk therapy with medically supervised ketamine infusions is available. This may include therapy sessions before, during, or after ketamine treatments at a local medical clinic for a powerful, synergistic effect that can speed up the process of mental health healing and change on both a physical and psychological level.

Specialties

I have worked with individuals from all walks of life and supported patients from the full spectrum of mental health illness severity. Currently, I focus my practice on high-functioning adults experiencing the following challenges:

• PTSD and/or chronically traumatized individuals

• Family conflict and/or romantic relationship challenges

• Anxiety and/or depression

• ADHD and/or Autism

• Mild to moderate forms of addiction

• Intergenerational or systemic traumas (cultural, political, religious, psychological injuries)

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_