Study psychology.
Develop your practice.
Grow professionally.

Anastasia Golubkova

AIST group therapy specialization

I became braver, more confident, more attentive and more grounded. I learned to distinguish what suits me from what does not.

My starting point was total dependence 🤪 … dependence on my husband in every way, and I did not like it.

I became braver, more confident, more attentive and more grounded. I learned to distinguish what suits me from what does not.

I am completely satisfied with our studies! So much practice, so many examples and fascinating, powerful exercises!!! Thank you ☺️

I want to say a special word about AIST’s teaching team! They are truly outstanding professionals. Such sensitivity, attentiveness, depth and courage — I am absolutely delighted with my beloved teachers: Elena Naumova, Irina Gerasimova and Yulia Nechaeva!

Darya Baymukasheva

AIST group therapy specialization

I am now leading my fifth long-term therapy group, lasting nine to twelve months. This has become a stable, understandable source of income, which I believe is extremely important for a psychologist.

My studies at AIST began during a very difficult period in my life: I started the group therapy specialization a couple of months after my divorce.

Perhaps what influenced me most was our therapist-teachers’ belief in me. When I still doubted myself deeply or desperately resisted a new experience, they continued to look at me with loving, kind eyes and wait…

I am now leading my fifth long-term therapy group, lasting nine to twelve months. This has become a stable, understandable source of income, which I believe is extremely important for a psychologist.

My work has certainly become more professional and precise, with greater care for myself as well as for clients. I have become more grounded as a therapist and understood a great deal about how I build relationships, including professional ones. I learned to draw support from communities, friends and teachers. This has changed me profoundly, both as a person and as a therapist.

Liza Sergeeva

AIST group therapy specialization

Most importantly, I gained the opportunity to change my behaviour in healthier, more constructive ways. Through this training, I grew greatly as a person, began to understand my clients more deeply and could see the processes in their lives more broadly.

I really liked how the learning process was structured: we could experience being both group participants and group analysts 🔥, alongside lectures.

During the course, the pieces of the puzzle began to fit together in my mind. I started noticing processes not only in our training but in everyday life: how I behave in relationships, what frightens me, where I close myself off, and where I devalue things or cross boundaries.

Most importantly, I gained the opportunity to change my behaviour in healthier, more constructive ways. Through this training, I grew greatly as a person, began to understand my clients more deeply and could see the processes in their lives more broadly.

Group therapy and the training still have a tremendous therapeutic after-effect on me. The course provides skills and knowledge that can be applied immediately in professional practice.

I am incredibly grateful to all the teachers for the love, professionalism and care they invested in each of us, including me. Thanks to AIST, I felt as though wings had grown behind me!

Endless love and gratitude to my dear teachers — Elena, Yulia and Irina. Thank you from my heart for everything you give the world! It is a great joy to be part of AIST and feel your unseen support along my path 🙏🏼🤍

Tatyana Keturova

AIST group therapy specialization

I was able to withstand and work through a difficult crisis with a business partner. In my personal relationships I also feel an inner maturity, and this is still unfolding. I became more aware of the feelings arising in me and began making room for them, rather than escaping feelings that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable.

I came to AIST because I know Elena well and trust her. Group dynamics themselves were a revelation. I understood and observed how people merge, then draw apart and come closer again at a new level of separateness.

Here I truly lived through that experience and saw that separating is completely normal: it is a phase of relationships. A major insight for me was that this applies not only to groups, but to everything — my business relationships and relationships with partners.

I was able to withstand and work through a difficult crisis with a business partner. In my personal relationships I also feel an inner maturity, and this is still unfolding. I became more aware of the feelings arising in me and began making room for them, rather than escaping feelings that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable.

Darya Simiguk

AIST group therapy specialization

After just the fifth three-day session, a fellow student and I joined forces and formed our first group of twelve people. Later, we formed another year-long group of ten together.

I was already working as a psychologist in private practice. Having fallen in love with the group format, I was looking for a therapy group.

That is how I found Elena Naumova and Yulia Nechaeva, and stayed for two years.

The format amazed me. I do not know other academies that combine all of this — it is a great achievement and, at the same time, excellent practical skills training. During the course, inner support and confidence grow: we feel we can cope with whatever happens in the group process.

After just the fifth three-day session, a fellow student and I joined forces and formed our first group of twelve people. Later, we formed another year-long group of ten together.

I am deeply grateful to Elena, Yulia and Irina for everything they invested in me. It is much easier to move forward knowing there is such strong support behind you and a fire of love for people and the profession in your heart.

Galina Ryabchenko

AIST group therapy specialization

I can now hold space for many more clients and much more money, and I managed to create a family with the same man, who has nevertheless changed. He values me as much as I have learned to value myself. I also managed to acknowledge my own professional strength and express it in my work for others.

I received what I came for.

I can now hold space for many more clients and much more money, and I managed to create a family with the same man, who has nevertheless changed. He values me as much as I have learned to value myself. I also managed to acknowledge my own professional strength and express it in my work for others.

I also want to say a few words about those who taught me to live and enjoy life — my teachers.

Elena Naumova, Yulia Nechaeva and Irina Gerasimova: in my practice, I now speak with their voices.

Voices filled with life and self-love. I love and value you immensely 💜

Katya Pryanikova

AIST group therapy specialization

I now work with more interesting people, and the work has become more interesting to me. Changes in life generally come more easily.

I wanted to be more visible, to have more money, more life, more social activity and more connections. That is why I came to AIST.

As for the material: I love not having to work through an enormous amount of information on my own. We are given a distillation that has been checked by a group of experts. They know what needs to be taught and what is not worth spending time on.

I now work with more interesting people, and the work has become more interesting to me. Changes in life generally come more easily.

I came to the Academy because of Elena Naumova: for me she is a teacher with a capital T. I see that the teachers around Elena are major experts with enormous experience, visibility and accomplishment.

I feel so much support here. The world becomes clearer, life becomes easier, and that certainly makes me happy.

Maria Atanasov

AIST group therapy specialization

I also understand myself better.

At this stage of my life I came mainly for myself, to address some of my own difficulties.

I liked the overall way Elena and Yulia led the group, and followed you largely for those values, that approach and vision, and the path Elena shares so generously. This matters to me.

Overall, I enjoyed it all. I never felt like dropping out, leaving, giving up or changing my mind. It was interesting. My alexithymia eased a little. I also understand myself better.

The Academy and the teachers.

First, I love the combination I see in Elena, Yulia and Irina: serious professionalism and inner strength, depth of knowledge and experience, and the investment you make in yourselves, without arrogance or pretension. There is a warm, pleasant feeling: you rely on your experience, knowledge and expertise while remaining human. Sometimes you swear, and sometimes you also show up vulnerable. To me, this is the most valuable thing.

It cannot be simulated.

There is this closeness to people, alongside a complete understanding of and respect for your stature, scope, knowledge and experience — and I melt.