Dr. Natalia Dorfman, DClinPsy
Psychologist, Psycho-Analytic Therapist and Trainee in Emotion Focused Therapy
Expert in Developmental Psychology
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BSc, MSc in General Medicine (Univ. Nyzhniy Novgorod, Russia)
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BSc, MSc in Clinical Psychology (Univ. San Raffaela - Milano)
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DClinPsy in Psycho-analytic Therapy (Istituto Italiano Psicoanalisi di Gruppo)
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MA in Developmental Psychology (Neufeld Institute - Canada)
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Trainee in Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT Russia e EFT Italia)
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Chartered Therapist (Albo degli psicologi della Lombardia - Sez. Psicoterapeuti).
Member of Emotionally Focused Therapy Russia and Italia
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Practicing in Italian, English and Russian in via Elba 10
To book an appointment,
write to: natalia.dorfman@sipsicologia.it
or call: 339 385 08 07
A little about me
I am a clinical psychologist, trainee in psychotherapy with a psychoanalytical approach for individuals and groups, couples psychotherapist in the process of obtaining international certification for the Emotion Focused Psychotherapy model.
My path to the profession began with my graduation from the State Medical Academy in Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia. I graduated with honours in 1998 and, after two years of the internship in internal medicine, I qualified as a Doctor. In 2008, interested in communication and psychology, I approached the Rogerian school in Moscow in order to study the Person-Centred Approach and made my first clinical experiences in the field of humanistic-existential psychotherapy.
In 2012 I moved to Italy to continue my studies at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan and in 2016 I graduated with honours with a Master's degree in Clinical and Health Psychology, dedicating my thesis to study of re-victimisation in Intimate Partner Violence.
During my university years I became passionate about psychoanalysis, so in 2017 I started my personal analysis and enrolled in the school of specialisation in psychoanalytic psychotherapy to learn the post-Freudian/Bionian model. In 2022 I completed the academic-clinical course at the Italian Institute of Group Psychoanalysis, Milan branch. During my years of specialisation I gained clinical experience working in the Psychosocial Centre and Clinical Psychology Outpatient Clinic of the ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo in Milan, treating various psychiatric pathologies and working with patients suffering from cancer and other serious illnesses.
After the birth of my second child, I became interested in attachment theory and psychotherapy models based on it. In the following years I undertook various training courses at the Neufeld Institute (Canada) in evolutionary psychology and parental counselling. I was also trained at the Italian Institute of Group Psychoanalysis in the field of psychotherapy with adolescents.
Following my interest in attachment-based approaches, I decided to learn the Emotion Focused Model and obtain international certification as a couples psychotherapist. I also participated in various further training courses for this model in order to learn more about sexuality and psychotherapeutic work with violent couples.
My therapy approach
I believe in psychotherapy as an emotional-corrective experience, in which the therapist-patient relationship acts as a mother's womb and enables the development of the insufficient or missing neuronal pathways to be well in the world. In this vision, the construction of a therapeutic relationship of a shared affective space occupies a central place.
I try to offer my patients a protected, judgement-free environment in which to explore their inner world in complete freedom. This exploration almost always leads to the discovery of pain: sometimes buried and silent, sometimes furious and thunderous. In a secure attachment relationship, pain can finally be faced and transformed, paving the way for the pleasure of living and the desired change.
What I do
I work with adults, couples, adolescents and their families. I lead psychoanalytically oriented groups and maternity support groups. I offer counselling for parents.
The psychoanalytic approach, treating the mind as a whole and aiming to change the organisation of the personality understood as the maturational level reached, allows me to work with the broad spectrum of mental problems. I deal with the areas of anxiety and depression, difficulties in adapting to major life changes, crises and psychological outcomes related to trauma. Relational difficulties is a particular interest of mine, both in individual therapy and in couples work. I have theoretical-clinical experience in working with women victims of intimate partner violence and in working with couples suffering from relationship violence.