Hello
My name is Petronela Gabajová
Hello, my name is Petronela, I am from Slovakia and may be familiar as the student counsellor from Studenterhuset. I have a private practice and work mostly with internationals ;together we tackle the drawbacks of our shared expat experience - from loneliness and different anxieties to anger. I have expertise helping people deal with the pitfalls of everyday life, unpleasant emotions like rage or jealousy, and the issue that plagues nearly everyone in my generation—procrastination.
About Me
I am a Slovak psychotherapist with a degree from the UK, living in Denmark, which makes me fully aware of all the challenges of the “international expat experience”.
I moved abroad with a different goal on my mind: to study Marketing. But I felt unfulfilled in my life and decided to volunteer for mental health awareness amongst internationals in Denmark. This experience made me realize that psychotherapy is my vocation. So, I decided to study psychology, got trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and I have been learning and working in the field ever since.
My mission is to support you with knowledge and tools you can use in your everyday life and therefore be able to move closer to the life you envision for yourself, step by step. I am incredibly grateful for the trust my clients place in me and the opportunity to be there for them in vulnerable moments.
I run my therapy sessions in English and work with the holistic human experience. I consider the biopsychological nature of our existence, seeing beyond medical diagnosis.
Methodologically speaking, I work with Cognitive -Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Positive Psychology and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I am deeply interested in trauma healing, childhood experiences and their impact on who we become (The Attachment Theory). I am also knowledgeable on narcissism as I dedicated my Master thesis to it and its link to parenting.
I have given my personal practice (the work outside of Gotya) the name “Aura Serenitas” (Latin for peaceful soul) as it best encapsulates what I treasure most at my core. A deep rooted peace of being that we carry with us through our highs and lows.
And that is where my aspiration lies, to guide you on your way towards a more serene life.
Highlights
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A student counsellor in Studenterhus Aarhus since 2021
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Initiating the Introduction of talks in English at Gallo Huset- rising mental health awareness amongst the international population in Aarhus since 2020
Education
2020 - 2023
Psychology
Arden University, Great Britain
Completed a Master’s degree program in psychology, focusing on the different fields of psychology, encompassing a wide range of essential topics such as the foundational principles and concepts of psychology, advanced scientific research methodologies and delving into the theories and techniques of psychotherapy. Conducted extensive research and completed a master’s thesis centered on the topic of vulnerable narcissism and its connection to parenting.
2014 - 2019
Business
Tomas Bata University &
Aarhus University
Five-year education in Business and Marketing, encompassing the fundamentals of business management, accounting, and economic psychology.
Courses
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2023 Course “How to deal with procrastination”
Course on the psychological patterns leading to procrastination as well as proven techniques and exercises to deal with and mitigate procrastination habits. -
2021 Course “How to manage jealousy and envy”
Course on the psychological underlying roots of jealousy and envy feelings as well as proven exercises to equip individuals addressing such complex and potentially disruptive feelings. -
2021 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Course
Course encompassing theoretical and practical knowledge of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy via a process based approach, as well as the techniques used in counseling sessions such as mindfulness, breath work, and learning of psychotherapeutic flexibility
