top of page

Meet Sofiya

Welcome! My name is Sofiya Kostareva and I am a 
Creative, Somatic & Trauma Informed Therapist based in Seattle, WA.

I'm a bi cisgender woman (she/her), first generation Ukrainian-American immigrant, and an artist of many forms.

Expressing myself creatively has always felt  natural. As a child, I would scribble pictures of my family, pen fanciful stories, and create detailed dance productions in the living room freely. But as time went on, expressing myself turned into a goal of being "the best" and making "good art". Perfectionism mixed with the social pressure to be "good"made me fall out of love with creativity.

 

Shortly after starting college, I began experiencing debilitating panic attacks and unexplainable physical ailments. Then senior year, my mental health crumbled as I entered the "real world and I couldn't cope with the stress of it all. I was forced to come face to face with the hidden trauma stored in my body after decades of pretending I was "fine", and the difficult path of healing began.

Through therapy, I learned I could create meaning from difficult moments, reclaim my purpose and feel safety in my body like I never had before. Therapy transformed my life so deeply, that I decided to become an Expressive Arts Therapist to help others reclaim the stories of their lives. I began studying for my M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Expressive Arts Therapy at Lesley University in 2016, and haven't looked back.

Woman with button up shirt and scarf sitting on a couch and smiling.

Photo Credit: Janette Casolary

Are you ready to thrive?

Four paintings lay on top of canvas with a drawing pad visible in the corner

How I Empower You

Female therapist in button up smiling and writing in a notebook
A person sits in the ground holding a colored pencil and drawing
Woman in a jean jacket with hands up walking on a cobble stone street

All Three Photo Credits: Munoz Motions

bottom of page