Meet olga gerasimenko, psyd

You’ve kept going for a long time.

You don’t have to do it by leaving yourself behind.

You know how to adapt, persist, and carry the weight. But lately, something's shifted: the roles you've held, the expectations you've internalized, or the ways you've coped may no longer feel like you.

You’re in the right place.

I'm here to help you make space for yourself. Not as a luxury, but as a necessity.

MY STORY

I came to this work as someone who understands what it means to live between languages, roles, and expectations. Before becoming a psychologist, I spent over a decade working in a range of organizational environments as an HR expert, leader, trainer, and consultant across corporate, creative, and educational sectors. I designed and facilitated programs on emotional resilience, leadership development, and effective communication, and helped individuals and teams navigate high-stress transitions and organizational change.

Alongside that, I trained and worked as a certified coach, supporting professionals in clarifying their direction and making choices more aligned with their values. I also began clinical work overseas, completing graduate-level psychoanalytic training and establishing a private practice.

That path eventually brought me to California, where I earned my doctorate in clinical psychology from the Wright Institute in Berkeley. I now live and work in Albany, CA, offering care to clients across California and internationally.

My life has been shaped by movement between countries, cultures, and careers. These experiences inform my belief in the value of reflection, meaningful connection, and creating spaces where people feel seen and understood, especially in times of transition.

My style

I offer therapy that’s structured enough to feel clear, and human enough to feel real.

My approach blends depth with flexibility. I draw primarily from psychodynamic and relational therapy to explore long-standing patterns and emotional dynamics. When clients are working through blocked or triggering memories, I offer EMDR as a structured, evidence-based way to process what still feels stuck in the body and mind.

I believe therapy should be a space where you feel deeply understood without being overanalyzed, gently challenged without being pushed, and supported without being smoothed over. And when you're facing a concrete struggle, like difficulty sleeping or managing overwhelm, I’ll bring in more symptom-oriented tools to meet that moment directly.

Clients often tell me they feel both grounded and more fully themselves in our work. I aim to create a space where things begin to make sense not only intellectually, but emotionally, relationally, and in the texture of everyday life.

My guiding principles

Curiosity

We approach your experience with openness, not to judge or fix, but to understand what shaped you. I’m here to wonder with you, not to analyze you from a distance.

Authenticity

I bring my full self to this work, and invite you to do the same. Therapy with me is honest, attuned, and focused on what actually matters in your life.

Clarity

Therapy should make sense. I aim to keep things grounded and transparent, so you can understand where we’re going and why.

Creativity

There’s no one-size-fits-all. We’ll shape the process together so it fits who you are, not just what you’ve been through. Some sessions go deep. Others leave space for humor, relief, and even playfulness..

  • PsyD, Clinical Psychology, Wright Institute, Berkeley, CA

  • MA, Clinical Psychology, Wright Institute, Berkeley, CA

  • MA, Clinical Psychoanalysis, Moscow State University (with honors)

  • BA, HR Management and Organizational Psychology, Moscow State University

  • Additional training in EMDR, trauma-informed care, and psychoanalytic psychotherapy

Training & Education