I am Svetlana Dorogaya, a psychologist working in cognitive behavioural therapy. I help people with anxiety, panic attacks, intrusive thoughts and depression understand how their reactions work and, step by step, get their freedom of action back. Without judgement, in plain language, with techniques you can use straight away.
It goes off at thoughts, body sensations and ordinary situations. The body reacts as if the danger were real.
A recalibrated system
The signal is still there, but it is no longer proof of a threat. There is room to choose.
Anxiety is not a fire. It is an alarm that goes off too often. And it can be recalibrated.
Recognise yourself
If even one of these thoughts sounds familiar
People rarely come with a ready-made “request”. More often they come with a sense that things cannot go on like this, and with thoughts that repeat day after day.
I can’t remember the last time I felt calm.
Something is wrong with me. Other people seem to cope.
I’m not afraid of the event itself, but of the weeks of waiting before it.
On the outside everything is fine, but inside it’s empty and nothing brings joy.
I check my pulse again and wait for it to get worse.
Since the move abroad, it’s as if I’m learning to live all over again.
Anxiety, fears and repeating reactions are learned strategies. Once they helped you cope; now they get in the way of living. The problem is not you. The problem is the patterns that have become fixed. And they can be changed.
My name is Svetlana Dorogaya. I am a psychologist and I work in cognitive behavioural therapy. I help people who are tired of living under constant strain, whatever form it takes: anxiety for no clear reason, panic, intrusive thoughts, a sense of emptiness and apathy, patterns that keep repeating in relationships, a past that won’t let go.
Sometimes it seems that things will always be like this and that “something is wrong” with you. But anxiety, fears and repeating reactions are learned strategies: once they helped you cope, and now they get in the way of living. They can be changed.
I live in Abu Dhabi and work online with Russian-speaking clients in different countries. Some of my clients, like me, have been through a move abroad, so adjusting to life in a new country is close to me not only professionally.
My qualifications include professional retraining in cognitive behavioural therapy with a state-recognised diploma, an MBA in psychological guidance and counselling, and training in psychology in social services. I am a member of an association of cognitive behavioural therapists, I have regular supervision, I keep learning, and I am in personal therapy myself. More about my education and professional development.
Gently and without judgement
I am on your side. No “you’re just imagining it” and no “you need to be stronger”.
I explain things simply and clearly
You always understand what is happening to you and why we do each exercise.
I give practical techniques
You can use them straight away: when anxious, in conflicts, with intrusive thoughts. Relief often comes after the first few sessions. Not because there is any “magic”, but because even entrenched reactions change once new actions appear.
Education
Education and professional development
Specialisation in cognitive behavioural therapy with a state-recognised diploma, training in psychology, a first university degree, membership of a professional association, regular supervision and personal therapy. These details match my profile on B17.
Cognitive behavioural therapy
State-recognised diploma
“Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Psychological Practice”
SMART Online Institute (Russia). Professional retraining. Qualification: counselling psychologist using cognitive behavioural therapy methods.
750 hours · 2026
Training in psychology
MBA Psychological Guidance and Counselling
Open European Academy of Economics and Politics. Programme: Psychological Guidance and Counselling.
1300 hours · 2025
“Psychology in Social Services”
SMART Online Institute (Russia). Professional retraining. Field: psychologist in social services.
450 hours · 2026
First university degree
Samara State University of Economics
Degree and qualification: law.
2003-2008
Professional community
Member of an association of cognitive behavioural therapists
I am a member of a professional association of cognitive behavioural therapists and follow its ethical standards.
Supervision and personal therapy
Regular supervision
I discuss complex cases with more experienced colleagues while keeping clients fully anonymous. This is a professional standard: it means decisions in my work rest not only on my own view but also on an outside check.
Personal therapy
I am in therapy myself. For a psychologist this is part of professional hygiene: in my work with you I rely on the method, not on my own unresolved reactions.
Continuing development
Ongoing learning
I regularly attend courses, seminars and peer consultation groups in cognitive behavioural therapy so that I work to current protocols. The most recent major programme: MBA Psychological Guidance and Counselling, Open European Academy of Economics and Politics, 1300 hours, 2025.
The full list of my education is published in my profile on B17 (in Russian).
What I help with
What you can come to me with
Anxiety is rarely abstract. It lives in very specific situations: on public transport, before a conversation, at night before sleep, in a new country.
Anxiety and panic attacks
Sudden attacks of fear, a constant background of tension, fear of body sensations, avoiding public transport, shops and travel.
Intrusive and anxious thoughts
Running the same scenarios over and over, an endless “what if”, being unable to stop the stream of thoughts, insomnia.
Depression and apathy
“Nothing brings me joy”, “everything is pointless”, loss of energy and interest, a feeling that you are living someone else’s life.
Chronic stress and burnout
Being busy all the time, being unable to rest, irritability, and exhaustion with anxiety hiding behind it.
Self-criticism and perfectionism
“Shoulds” and “musts”, black-and-white thinking, fear of making mistakes, a sense of “I’m not good enough” and an endless inner exam.
Anticipatory anxiety
The event lasts an hour, but you live through it for weeks: before a flight, a conversation with your manager, test results.
Emigration and adjustment
Losing your usual supports, social anxiety, fear of looking for work, comparing yourself with others, loneliness in a new country.
Repeating patterns in relationships
The same conflicts and reactions, seeking reassurance, fear of rejection, a past that won’t let go.
If your issue isn’t on the list, write to me. We’ll discuss whether I can help, and if I can’t, I’ll recommend another specialist.
Anxiety is triggered not by the event, but by the story the brain made up before the facts were in
Between a situation and an emotion there is one step that is easy to miss: interpretation. CBT breaks this chain into four steps: situation, thought, emotion, reaction. While a thought sounds like a fact, anxiety grows. Once the chain is visible, there is room to choose.
SituationMy manager wrote: “We need to talk.”
Thought“I’ve done something wrong. I’m going to be fired.”
EmotionAnxiety 9 out of 10
ReactionI can’t work, I replay the conversation in my head, I search for my mistakes.
What actually happenedAn hour later it turns out they wanted to offer you a new project. The anxiety was caused not by the situation, but by the story the brain made up before the facts.
SituationMy heart started beating faster. It’s stuffy, I’ve had a second coffee, I haven’t slept enough.
Thought“This is dangerous. Panic is starting. I won’t cope.”
EmotionFear 9 out of 10
ReactionI check my pulse, listen to my body, cancel plans, avoid similar situations.
What actually happenedThis is the body’s ordinary stress response. It is not the response that is dangerous, but how it is interpreted. Every time you avoid something, the brain learns: “since we avoid this, it must really be dangerous”.
SituationSomeone read my message and didn’t reply. An hour went by, then another.
Thought“He’s tired of me. I must have said something wrong.”
EmotionHurt, anxiety, an urge to put everything right.
ReactionI reread the conversation, send another message, check when he was last online.
What actually happenedThere is one fact: the person didn’t reply. Everything else is guesswork. He might have been busy or tired, or decided to reply later. “Mind reading” is one of the most common cognitive distortions.
This is what a thought record looks like (situation, thoughts, emotions, reactions), the tool that CBT work starts with. Once the chain is written down, you can test it: is it a fact or a prediction?
SensationRacing heart, shortness of breath, feeling hot
Thought“This is dangerous, something is wrong with me”
AnxietyA rush of adrenaline, the body gets ready to escape
Stronger sensationsAnd even more anxiety
panic cycle
Why a panic attack feels like “I’m about to die”
The amygdala, the brain’s internal “danger scanner”, is responsible for fast reactions to threat. It fires faster than rational thinking. With anxiety, this system becomes too sensitive and starts reacting to thoughts, body sensations and the most ordinary situations. A panic attack is not danger; it is an overloaded protection system. It can be recalibrated: over time the brain learns again to tell “this is unpleasant, but safe”.
Why the usual approaches don’t help
Why “just calm down” doesn’t work
When new clients come to me, I always ask: “What have you already tried?” And almost always I hear the same list: suppressing it by willpower, going from doctor to doctor, avoiding things, distracting yourself. It isn’t about weakness. It’s about the approach.
Mistake one
Trying to get rid of anxiety at any cost
The harder you try to “calm down”, the more closely you watch your anxiety, and attention only makes it stronger. It’s like living next to a noise and listening out for it all the time: the more you listen, the louder it seems.
Mistake two
Fighting symptoms instead of the cause
Breathing techniques from the internet, sedatives “just in case”, more medical tests. It’s like papering over a crack in the wall when the problem is in the foundation: the thoughts and beliefs that trigger the reaction.
Mistake three
Avoidance
Not travelling, not calling, not speaking up. In the moment it feels easier, but the brain gets the signal: “since we avoid this, it must be dangerous”. The circle of what feels “safe” gradually shrinks, and anxiety takes up more and more room.
Mistake four
Generic advice for a personal problem
Anxiety doesn’t follow one script for everyone. Each person has their own triggers, fears and experience. “Just breathe and it will pass” disappoints precisely because it ignores how your anxiety works.
This isn’t weakness or a “broken mind”. It’s a learned mechanism that was met with the wrong method. Stop blaming yourself: the mechanism can be seen and rebuilt.
The method
How cognitive behavioural therapy works
CBT is a structured approach that is widely used for anxiety disorders, panic attacks and depression. We don’t work on “calming down”; we work on the anxiety cycle itself: the thoughts that trigger it and the behaviour that keeps it going.
Step 1
We explore thoughts and behaviour
We take a specific recent episode and look at what exactly triggers the reaction. While a thought sounds like a fact (“this is dangerous”, “I won’t cope”), anxiety grows.
Step 2
We keep a thought record
A step many people skip. It is what shows when, where and why anxiety appears, at what point the spiralling starts and which thoughts keep coming back.
Step 3
We apply CBT techniques
We don’t suppress thoughts; we test them against reality and change how we relate to them. Gradually the brain stops treating them as a threat.
Step 4
We return to situations you have been avoiding
Gradually, without sudden leaps, with support. This is where new experience forms: “I can cope”. The mind believes accumulated facts, not persuasion.
What you get
An understanding of your anxiety cycle: what triggers it and what keeps it going.
Concrete tools for every day: when anxious, in conflicts, with intrusive thoughts.
The skill of regulating your state yourself, so that you don’t depend on a psychologist.
What the work won’t involve
Suppressing thoughts or forced “positive thinking”.
Promises to “get rid of anxiety for good”. The goal of CBT is to teach the mind not to turn anxiety into a catastrophe.
Diagnoses or prescriptions: that is a doctor’s job. If it’s needed, I’ll tell you so directly.
How we work
What working with me looks like
The first session is not “lie down and tell me about your childhood”. It is a calm, structured conversation after which it becomes clearer what is happening to you and what we will do next.
01
Getting in touch
You write to me on Telegram or leave a request on the website. I reply personally and we agree on a time. You don’t need to phrase your request “correctly”: it’s enough to describe how you feel in your own words.
02
Assessment before the first session
Short questionnaires and clarifying your request. That way we don’t spend session time on forms and can start with what matters.
03
First session: goals and a plan
We go through one or two recent episodes and set goals and a plan for our work. You leave with a first outline of how your state works and your first task.
04
Sessions and practice in between
An individual programme in which you learn CBT techniques. For anxiety and panic attacks the rough guide is about 10 sessions, usually once a week. Change happens in life, not only in the session, so there are small, realistic tasks between sessions. We always decide on the number of sessions together.
What we work towards
What usually changes as the work goes on
Change rarely looks like a sudden leap. More often it is the moment you first step into a lift calmly, send a message without rereading it ten times, or fall asleep without replaying the next day in your head.
Panic attacks become rarer and weaker
Fear of the next attack stops dictating your plans: routes, trips, meetings.
Thoughts stop taking over
You notice a catastrophic thought earlier and can choose whether to believe it or test it.
You get back what you’ve been avoiding
Public transport, public places, important conversations, job interviews. Not through heroics, but gradually.
You can rely on yourself
You understand how your state works and what to do when the anxiety alarm goes off again.
Less self-criticism and fewer “shoulds”
Rigid demands on yourself give way to flexible thinking and a realistic view.
More energy and interest
With depression, small actions that bring a sense of meaning gradually come back.
Everyone’s pace and results are different: they depend on the issue, how regular the sessions are and the practice between them. I don’t promise that anxiety will disappear for good. I promise a clear system, honest feedback and work without pressure.
Stories from practice
What this looks like in real life
Four stories of people who decided not to put it off. All of them are anonymised and the details have been changed. Results vary from person to person.
Emigration and anxiety
Afraid to look for work in a new country
“I’ll never be able to find a job here. I don’t understand how anything works.”
What was happening
A client aged 35 had moved to a new country with her family. The thought of looking for work brought on panic attacks, along with social anxiety and a constant sense of helplessness. Before coming to me she had tried to “just pull herself together” and signed up for language classes, but the attacks only got worse.
What kept it going
A core belief, “I am helpless”, and automatic thoughts that set off the physical symptoms.
What we did
We identified the automatic thoughts and how the belief was linked to the symptoms, worked on the belief with CBT techniques, and gradually widened the range of situations: shopping centres, events, conversations with new people.
What changed
Within two weeks the attacks became rarer and weaker. By the end of the first month she had been to her first job interview. She also noticed that the tension at home had eased.
Panic attacks
“I’m seriously ill and I’m going to die soon”
“I’ve always been strong. I don’t want to look weak.”
What was happening
A client was convinced she was seriously ill: dozens of check-ups, doctors, tests. Everything came back normal, yet the attacks continued. She kept putting off therapy because asking for help felt like weakness.
What kept it going
A catastrophic reading of body sensations, constant checking and the belief that “a strong person should cope alone”.
What we did
We took apart the panic cycle, practised testing thoughts against reality, cut down checking and avoidance, and step by step brought back the situations she had been afraid of.
What changed
After three months of steady work she returned to everyday life. As she put it later: “So many years lost to that pride.”
Anticipatory anxiety
Three weeks before the flight
“I’m not afraid of flying. I’m afraid of the three weeks before the flight.”
What was happening
A month before a trip, a client would stop sleeping; two weeks before, she could not eat properly; three days before, any phone call made her hands shake. The flight itself went calmly: three hours, a coffee, landing.
What kept it going
Running through scenarios as a kind of “insurance”, and the conclusion after each trip: “it went fine because I thought of everything”.
What we did
We separated preparation from worry: preparation has an end, worry does not. We set a limit on preparation. After each trip she wrote down what her anxiety had predicted and what actually happened.
What changed
“I still get nervous before a flight. But I no longer put my life on hold for three weeks.”
Depression
When everything looks fine from the outside
“I’m ashamed. I have no right to feel like this.”
What was happening
A woman sat on the beach while her friends laughed beside her, and all she could think about was why she felt nothing. A loving husband, a child, a stable job. For months guilt stopped her from asking for help.
What kept it going
Thoughts such as “I should be happy”, “I have no right to complain”, “the problem is me”.
What we did
She learned to notice these automatic thoughts without taking them as the truth, and brought small actions that give a sense of meaning back into her life. Alongside this she saw a doctor to have her condition assessed: sometimes that is an important part of getting help.
What changed
“For the first time in a long while I caught myself wanting to make plans for the future.”
These stories illustrate the approach and are not a promise of results. If you recognise yourself and feel you might harm yourself, contact the emergency services in your country or a doctor.
Who it’s for
Is working with me right for you?
An honest look at what I can help with and where you need a different kind of help. It matters, so that you don’t spend time and money for nothing.
It’s a good fit if you
live under constant strain or in fear of the next panic attack;
feel apathy and a loss of meaning, and don’t know how to get out of it;
have already tried different approaches, but the effect was short-lived or there was none;
want to understand what is going on and get tools, not just talk it through;
are ready to take small steps between sessions, even very small ones.
You need different or additional help if
you need a diagnosis or medication: that is a psychiatrist’s job. If symptoms are pronounced, I will recommend seeing a doctor alongside therapy;
you are in acute crisis or have thoughts of harming yourself: contact the emergency services in your country or a doctor without delay;
you are looking for a quick fix without changing anything in your everyday actions. CBT works through practice.
Three questions
How to tell you are ready for change
People very often put off therapy exactly when, inside, they are already ready. Tick what applies to you.
The main barrier is rarely money or time. Usually it is the feeling that “I should cope on my own”. Let’s look at that one and a few others.
“Only weak people see a psychologist. I’ll manage on my own”
Asking for help is a mature skill: admitting that things are hard, not spending years fighting alone, and choosing a path that works. Weakness is carrying on suffering when there is a solution.
“My case is too complicated, nobody will understand”
Almost everyone who comes to me thinks so. But anxiety has a mechanism, and it can almost always be taken apart. If I see that you need a different kind of help, I will tell you honestly and recommend a specialist.
“It will pass on its own”
Anxiety that is kept going by avoidance rarely fades by itself: over time the circle of what feels “safe” usually shrinks, and new limits are added to the anxiety. The moment you think “anxiety is getting in the way of my life” is a good moment to start.
“I don’t know how to put my problem into words”
You don’t need to. It’s enough to describe how you feel: “I feel anxious almost every day”, “I can’t relax in the evenings”. Putting the request into words is part of the first session, not a condition for it.
“It’s expensive and takes ages”
CBT is a short-term method, and we discuss the number of sessions openly. Putting it off has a price too: your quality of life, your relationships and the opportunities that pass you by while anxiety makes your decisions.
“I’m nervous about the first session”
That’s normal. It’s fine to be nervous, to cry, to fall silent to gather your thoughts, or to say “I don’t know where to start”. We will start together, at your pace.
Questions and answers
What people usually ask before starting
If you haven’t found your answer, write to me: I reply personally.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a structured approach. We don’t just talk about how you feel; we explore the chain “situation, thought, emotion, reaction”, test thoughts against reality and change the behaviour that keeps anxiety going. You learn techniques that stay with you after the work is over.
It depends on the issue. For anxiety and panic attacks the rough guide is about 10 sessions, usually once a week. Sometimes relief comes after the first few sessions; sometimes the work takes longer. We discuss and adjust the number of sessions together as we go.
By video call; we agree on the platform at booking. Sessions are held in Russian. You will need a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed, a stable internet connection and headphones. I am in Abu Dhabi (UTC+4), and we find a time that suits your time zone.
Yes, this is an important part of CBT: change happens in life, not only in the session. The tasks are small and realistic: a thought record, observing your reactions, a small behavioural step. If something didn’t work out, we look at what got in the way, without blame.
That’s normal. It’s enough to describe how you feel in simple words. Putting the request into words is part of the first session: together we will decide what would be a clear sign of improvement for you.
No. I am a psychologist, not a doctor. Diagnosis and medication are a psychiatrist’s job. If during our work I see that you need to see a doctor, I will tell you so directly. Medication can be an important part of help and combines well with CBT.
Yes. Confidentiality is a basic condition of the work. Stories from practice are published only in anonymised form, with details changed. The exceptions are set out in section 9 of the public offer: a real threat to life, a legal requirement and anonymous supervision.
The rules on rescheduling, cancellation, payment and refunds are set out in the public offer: rescheduling or cancelling is free with 24 hours’ notice; a late cancellation or a no-show is charged in full. Payment is made no later than 24 hours before the session, and we agree on the method at booking.
Resources and Telegram
Explanations, techniques and stories in plain language
On my Telegram channel I explain how anxiety works, take apart cognitive distortions and share techniques you can try today. The channel is in Russian. Here are a few posts worth starting with.
Психолог | Дорогая СветланаTelegram channel · @dorogaya_svetlana · in Russian
Help with anxiety, depression and panic attacks. Explanations of how anxiety works, short practices, stories from practice and answers to subscribers’ questions.
They don’t give a diagnosis and don’t replace a consultation with a specialist, but they help you get a sense of your state. If a result makes you stop and think, that isn’t weakness. It’s a sign that your mind needs support. The questionnaires below are in Russian.
You don’t need to wait until you feel completely sure. It’s enough that somewhere inside there is already the thought “I want things to be different”. Leave a request or message me directly on Telegram: I will reply personally and we will find a time.
1
You leave a request or write on TelegramIn your own words, without a “correct” request.
2
I reply personallyWe briefly discuss your situation and find a time that suits your time zone.
3
Before the first sessionYou receive short questionnaires so that we can start with what matters.
