Connect to Heal
Counseling and Psychotherapy
Services
Sessions can be conducted in Slovenian, English, or Italian.
EMDR
- trauma and post-traumatic stress
- childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences
- anxiety and panic attacks
- phobias and irrational fears
- grief and complicated loss
- low self-esteem and negative self-beliefs
- body image difficulties and eating-related issues
- performance anxiety (e.g., public speaking, sports, exams)
- …
Individual counselling
- lack of self-confidence, problems with expressing and/or controlling emotions
- anxiety, excessive worry, feelings of anxiety…
- processing past traumatic or distressing experiences
- shame and feelings of inadequacy
- loneliness, depression, outbursts of anger
- coping with changes in life (divorce, loss, bereavement, illness, etc.)
- …
Focusing
- contact with yourself and your inner resources
- a clearer understanding of oneself, one’s needs and emotions,
- clearer orientation when making important life decisions and transitions
- strengthening the sense of self-worth, the sense of boundaries, reducing the influence of the environment
- release of blockages and tension, building self-confidence
- …
About me
Helena Marusko, Certified Transactional Analysis Psychotherapist (CTA-P), EMDR Therapist, Certified Focusing Practitioner and Teacher
I believe that human beings are constantly in a process of change, searching, transformation, and growth. Life’s challenges often invite us to turn our attention inward and listen to the message they carry – struggles and difficulties are often a call for inner change.
My work is grounded in a holistic approach that integrates mind, body, emotions, and spirituality in support of deeper and more sustainable change.
In my work I integrate different methods and approaches:
-
Transactional Analysis, EMDR, and Focusing
-
Art therapy and creative techniques
-
Psychology: classical personality theories, developmental, clinical, and social psychology
-
Philosophy: existentialism, phenomenology, questions of meaning and consciousness
-
Neuroscience: research on consciousness and emotions, brain plasticity, and the effects of meditation and embodied practices
-
Spirituality: contemplative traditions, transpersonal experiences, mindfulness, symbolic and ritual work
-
Body and somatics: the connection between body and psyche, nervous system regulation, and embodied practices
Education
- Certified Transactional Analyst in Psychotherapy (CTA-P) – European Association for Transactional Analysis
- Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Propedeutics – Sigmund Freud University Vienna
- EMDR Therapist (Level 1 & 2) – IPSA Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Certified Focusing Practitioner and Teacher – The International Focusing Institute, New York, USA
- Certified Transformative Mediator – Rakmo Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- BA in Cultural Studies – University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences University of Ljubljana
Counselling and psychotherapy
I conduct counselling and psychotherapy according to the principles of Transactional Analysis, which enables us to get to know ourselves and understand the background of our behaviours and thoughts. It helps us to become aware of the patterns that we internalized in childhood and that today may represent an obstacle on the way to self-realization.
One of the strengths of Transactional Analysis is that it offers a clear and accessible framework for understanding how we relate to ourselves and to others. It helps identify recurring relational patterns, internal conflicts, and the ways in which we communicate and respond in relationships. Through this process, clients can gain greater awareness of their emotional reactions, needs, and beliefs about themselves and the world.
Transactional Analysis also focuses on strengthening personal autonomy, which includes developing awareness, spontaneity, and the capacity for intimacy. In therapy, this often means learning to recognize and change limiting life scripts, developing healthier ways of relating, and making more conscious choices in everyday life.
Because of its practical and relational approach, Transactional Analysis can be especially helpful for improving communication, building self-esteem, and creating more authentic and fulfilling relationships with others.
Transactional analysis
Modern transactional analysis is an integrative form of psychotherapy that treats the individual holistically, taking into account his emotions, thinking, behaviour, physical and spiritual dimensions. It is aimed at understanding how we relate to ourselves, to others and to the world in general. It was developed by the psychoanalyst Eric Berne and based on humanist philosophy, with the basic premise that all people have the ability to think and to decide their own destiny and that they have the power to change their decisions.
Therapy sessions
It can be short-term counselling in the range of 6-12 hours or a more in-depth treatment that lasts longer. As a rule, we meet once a week. A prerequisite for starting the therapeutic process is the ability to regularly attend therapy meetings. Continuity of meetings is important, as it ensures a continuous course of therapy. The meeting lasts 50 minutes.
Online sessions are arranged via Zoom.
I ensure the protection of my clients’ personal data and the complete confidentiality of everything that is said in the context of therapeutic meetings, and I act in accordance with the ethical codes of the Slovenian association for psychotherapy (SZKP) and the European Association for Transactional Analysis (EATA).
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy approach designed to help people process distressing or traumatic experiences that continue to affect their emotional well-being. Originally developed for the treatment of trauma and post-traumatic stress, EMDR is now widely used to support people experiencing anxiety, panic, grief, low self-esteem, and other emotional difficulties.
Sometimes challenging life experiences are not fully processed by the brain and nervous system. When this happens, the memories can remain stored with the same emotions, beliefs, and bodily sensations that were present at the time of the event. As a result, past experiences may continue to influence how we feel about ourselves, how we respond to stress, and how we relate to others.
EMDR therapy helps the brain reprocess these experiences so they can be integrated in a healthier way. During the process, the client briefly focuses on a distressing memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, tapping, or sounds. This supports the brain’s natural ability to process information and reduce the emotional intensity connected to the memory.
After processing, memories that once felt overwhelming often become less emotionally charged. The experience remains part of one’s life story, but it no longer carries the same level of distress. The goal of EMDR is to support healing, resilience, and greater emotional freedom.
Focusing
Focusing is a simple yet profound process that promotes change, growth and healing on all levels. It gives us direct contact with the body’s wisdom, which helps us direct our lives along the path that is right for us. Through the practice of focusing, we deepen our knowledge of ourselves, strengthen our ability to deal with difficult situations and difficult relationships, and our ability to find creative solutions that move our lives forward.
It was defined by the renowned American philosopher and psychotherapist Eugene Gendlin, who together with Carl Rogers researched what affects the success of psychotherapy. He concluded that the focusing process represents the natural ability of every human being to establish contact with himself, with his inner knowing, through his own body.
Price list
Individual counselling and psychotherapy in English (50 min): €85
Individual Focusing session in English (50 min): €85
EMDR therapy in English (90 min): €120