Tatjana (she/her)

I was born and grew up in a countryside. When I was 10 years jung the Yugoslavian war started. It ended when I was 19. At the same age I went to study, escaping childhood sexual, physical and emotional abuse, political situation and lack of future, unfortunately stepping into several decades of unfortunate neurotic relationship and migration-related discrimination. The result of 19 years of trauma left me with complex PTSD, flashbacks, intrusive memories, dissociations, panic attacks, nightmares and severely depression and anxious, which then saw me entering a string of destructive relationships and situations. I was repeating unhealthy patterns, being triggered to much and to often and I wanted and needed to change – monumentally.

My recovery journey began aged 28, just few years I moved to Zurich. I’ve had lots of personal therapy, with several different therapists using different modalities, over the decades. I put myself on recover and wellbeing courses, read books, written notes, watched talks, documentary videos and soaked up as much knowledge as I could. Learned how to self-care, through exercise, healthy way of life, environmental awareness, meditation, mindfulness, creativity and lots of practical tools. And I am learning still. I surrounded myself with a supportive network, therapist, doctor – which I am eternally grateful for.

Feeling comfortable in my own skin and also realising neurodiversity, ADHD, aspergers, high sensitivity and empath qualities helped to create more self-compassion, self-consciousness and understanding, I wanted to pass my knowledge and tools that I had learned, that had put me back together when I felt broken. I wanted to make what I had been through mean something – to support others recover. 

I worked up from an assistance to social educator for various schools, kindergarten, day cars, youth and adults nursery homes as well as a voluntary for Red Cross in Zurich and surrounding. Following my passions I studied Art and I am currently in training to become an integrative counsellor/therapist. 

I don’t believe that one way fixes al and that there is only one straight path. So I continue to add strings to my bow.