Donate
Svitlana Kresina, perinatal psychologist and birth doula, co-founder of APTC

Svitlana Kresina

Clinical, perinatal and military psychologist, certified birth doula, head of the Association

  • Dnipro
  • Ukrainian
  • 18+ years of practice
  • also online
Message Svitlana Consultations are in Ukrainian.

About

Svitlana Kresina is head and co-founder of the Association for the Prevention of Traumatic Childbirth — a clinical, perinatal and military psychologist and certified birth doula.

She has more than eighteen years of experience in perinatal support. Since 2008 she has accompanied women in labour, provided psychological counselling, prepared families for parenthood, trained practitioners, and worked to develop family-centred maternity care in Ukraine.

She specialises in preventing and working through traumatic birth experience, psychological preparation for a subsequent birth, fears and anxiety, maternal exhaustion, and difficulties of postnatal adjustment.

Her practice in numbers

  • 1,002 women supported in labour, 169 of them remotely.
  • 5,000+ families prepared for birth and parenthood.
  • 10,000+ consultations for pregnant women and mothers, including coordination work.
  • 500+ participants in a free birth-preparation school during the war.
  • 120+ educational materials for the National Guide for Pregnant Women.
  • 600+ hours facilitating support groups for wives of serving personnel.

The “four supports” approach

  • Emotional safety — support without judgement, dismissal or psychological pressure.
  • Bodily competence — understanding physiology, the body’s signals and ways of self-regulation.
  • Dignity — unconditional respect for the woman, her boundaries, privacy and individual experience.
  • Agency — the right to information, informed consent and a part in every decision about her own body.

Professional and public work

Since 2008 she has taken part in developing family-centred maternity care, including the introduction of family-style birth rooms in Dnipro. Since 2010 she has run peer consultation for practitioners and developed educational programmes and materials for perinatal specialists.

During the full-scale war she has developed protocols for psychological support of pregnant women and new mothers in danger, and organises free educational programmes.

As head of the Association she works to prevent obstetric violence and to build a culture of informed consent, respect for a woman’s dignity and agency, and cooperation across professions.

Roles

  • Head of the Association for the Prevention of Traumatic Childbirth.
  • Head of the psycho-emotional programme at the NGO «Наскрізь».
  • Co-founder of the «ЛЕЛЕКИ» maternity support centre.
  • Author of educational programmes and public-education projects.

Education and memberships

Master’s degrees in psychology and applied mathematics. Certified birth doula. Professional training in EMDR, trauma-focused and body-oriented approaches, and crisis, military and perinatal psychology. She has regular supervision and continuing professional development.

“The future is born in childbirth. Dignified treatment of every woman is the foundation of a dignified future for the country.”

Areas of work

  • Traumatic birth experience and its psychological after-effects
  • Fear of birth and anxiety in pregnancy
  • Preparing for another birth after a difficult one
  • Maternal burnout, anger, guilt and emotional exhaustion
  • Postnatal adjustment, personal boundaries and family relationships
  • Psychological support for pregnant women and mothers in wartime
  • Training and professional support for perinatal practitioners

Formats and services

  • Individual psychological consultations
  • Birth preparation
  • Birth support
  • Support groups
  • Educational programmes
  • Professional training, peer consultation and supervision
  • Perinatal psychological consultation
  • Preparation for birth and conscious parenthood
  • Educational programmes for families
  • Support for wives and partners of serving personnel
  • Supervision for practitioners

Does not work with: Postnatal depression as the main request for treatment; Perinatal loss; Addiction and codependency; Counselling children and adolescents; Working through experience of sexual violence.

Qualifications

Education 2

  • Master's degree in Psychology — study programme in Counselling and Rehabilitation

    Institution
    Alfred Nobel University, Dnipro
    Year
    Document number
    M26 No. 011708
    Country
    Ukraine
    Document, Master's degree in Psychology — study programme in Counselling and Rehabilitation, Alfred Nobel University, Dnipro, 2026 View document

  • Postgraduate programme in Psychological Counselling, specialisation in Clinical Psychology and Trauma Psychotherapy

    Institution
    International Institute of Postgraduate Education, supported by Regent University
    Year
    Document number
    109-01-09/2024-ОТТ
    Country
    Ukraine
    Document, Postgraduate programme in Psychological Counselling, specialisation in Clinical Psychology and Trauma Psychotherapy, International Institute of Postgraduate Education, supported by Regent University, 2024 View document

Registrations and memberships 1

  • Membership of the National Psychological Association of Ukraine

    Institution
    National Psychological Association
    Valid until
    Country
    Ukraine
    Document, Membership of the National Psychological Association of Ukraine, National Psychological Association, 2026 View document

Certifications 25

  • Document, Somatic Trauma Therapy Training — Level 1, Babette Rothschild, 30 CPD hours — first Ukrainian-language cohort, Complex Trauma Institute, 2026 View document

    Somatic Trauma Therapy Training — Level 1, Babette Rothschild, 30 CPD hours — first Ukrainian-language cohort

    Complex Trauma Institute
    Year
    Document number
    Babette Rothschild-RYKO-36SM
    Country
    United Kingdom
  • Document, Burnout Prevention and Professional Self-Care: A Somatic Trauma Therapy Approach, Babette Rothschild — 8 CPD hours, Complex Trauma Institute, 2026 View document

    Burnout Prevention and Professional Self-Care: A Somatic Trauma Therapy Approach, Babette Rothschild — 8 CPD hours

    Complex Trauma Institute
    Year
    Document number
    Babette Rothschild-66ZV-Q7SR
    Country
    United Kingdom
  • Document, CBT model in care of mental health in the perinatal period (30 study hours), Ukrainian Institute of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, 2026 View document

    CBT model in care of mental health in the perinatal period (30 study hours)

    Ukrainian Institute of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
    Year
    Document number
    3017913
    Country
    Ukraine
  • Document, Doula: Birth Support — theoretical and practical training, AFPB, Ukraine, 2019 View document

    Doula: Birth Support — theoretical and practical training

    AFPB, Ukraine
    Year
    Country
    Ukraine
  • Document, DONA International approved Introduction to Childbirth (8 hours), DONA International, trainer Debra Pascali-Bonaro, 2022 View document

    DONA International approved Introduction to Childbirth (8 hours)

    DONA International, trainer Debra Pascali-Bonaro
    Year
  • Document, DONA International Birth Doula Workshop with hands-on comfort measures (20 hours), DONA International, trainer Debra Pascali-Bonaro, 2022 View document

    DONA International Birth Doula Workshop with hands-on comfort measures (20 hours)

    DONA International, trainer Debra Pascali-Bonaro
    Year
  • Document, Paramana Doula Course — three-day intensive for doulas, Dr Michel Odent and Liliana Lammers, 2022 View document

    Paramana Doula Course — three-day intensive for doulas

    Dr Michel Odent and Liliana Lammers
    Year
  • Document, Birth Doula Workshop approved by DONA International, DONA International, trainer Guadalupe Trueba (LCCE, FACCE, CLC, BDT), 2016 View document

    Birth Doula Workshop approved by DONA International

    DONA International, trainer Guadalupe Trueba (LCCE, FACCE, CLC, BDT)
    Year
  • Document, Foundations of preventing and treating PTSD (42 hours) — practitioner in PTSD prevention and treatment, Atlant Support Centre, 2022 View document

    Foundations of preventing and treating PTSD (42 hours) — practitioner in PTSD prevention and treatment

    Atlant Support Centre
    Year
    Country
    Ukraine
  • Document, Crisis counselling for people with substance dependence, Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, 2025 View document

    Crisis counselling for people with substance dependence

    Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine
    Year
    Document number
    2025-2389-5123-404480
    Country
    Ukraine
  • Document, Basic psychological support in wartime, Prometheus, with the Yednannia NGO under the EU "Moving Forward Together" programme, 2025 View document

    Basic psychological support in wartime

    Prometheus, with the Yednannia NGO under the EU "Moving Forward Together" programme
    Year
    Country
    Ukraine

    Verify

  • Document, Traumatic experience and PTSD: a psychotherapist's toolkit, Prometheus, 2025 View document

    Traumatic experience and PTSD: a psychotherapist's toolkit

    Prometheus
    Year
    Country
    Ukraine

    Verify

  • Document, Working with Veterans: Integrating Traumatic Experience and Supporting Adaptation — 2 CPD hours, Complex Trauma Institute, 2026 View document

    Working with Veterans: Integrating Traumatic Experience and Supporting Adaptation — 2 CPD hours

    Complex Trauma Institute
    Year
    Country
    United Kingdom
  • Document, Theory & Tools for Safe Trauma Therapy, Babette Rothschild — 12 CPD hours, Complex Trauma Institute, 2023 View document

    Theory & Tools for Safe Trauma Therapy, Babette Rothschild — 12 CPD hours

    Complex Trauma Institute
    Year
    Document number
    Babette Rothschild-DF6F-W5P7
    Country
    United Kingdom
  • Document, Trauma-informed practice for perinatal professionals (10 hours), Association for the Prevention of Traumatic Childbirth, 2023 View document

    Trauma-informed practice for perinatal professionals (10 hours)

    Association for the Prevention of Traumatic Childbirth
    Year
    Document number
    ТІ-2311-001
    Country
    Ukraine
  • Document, Foundations of working with psychological trauma and PTSD (15 hours), RESOURCE Training Centre of Personal Development, 2022 View document

    Foundations of working with psychological trauma and PTSD (15 hours)

    RESOURCE Training Centre of Personal Development
    Year
    Document number
    TP01408
    Country
    Ukraine
  • Document, IX All-Ukrainian Festival of Conscious Parenthood and VIII scientific conference on perinatology, "Dialogue: contact and the choice of possibilities" — participant and trainer, Association of Conscious Parenthood, supported by the P. L. Shupyk National Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, 2017 View document

    IX All-Ukrainian Festival of Conscious Parenthood and VIII scientific conference on perinatology, "Dialogue: contact and the choice of possibilities" — participant and trainer

    Association of Conscious Parenthood, supported by the P. L. Shupyk National Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education
    Year
    Country
    Ukraine
  • Document, Sexuality, Birth and Life (35 hours), Naolí Vinaver López, traditional and professional midwife (CPM), 2016 View document

    Sexuality, Birth and Life (35 hours)

    Naolí Vinaver López, traditional and professional midwife (CPM)
    Year
  • Document, Michel Odent seminar: Childbirth in the scientific context — science versus tradition, Higher School of Psychology, MirRa Centre of Human Development, 2016 View document

    Michel Odent seminar: Childbirth in the scientific context — science versus tradition

    Higher School of Psychology, MirRa Centre of Human Development
    Year
    Country
    Ukraine
  • Document, Conception. Pregnancy. Birth. Recovery (21 hours), Seminar by Angelina Martínez Miranda, traditional midwife (Mexico), 2016 View document

    Conception. Pregnancy. Birth. Recovery (21 hours)

    Seminar by Angelina Martínez Miranda, traditional midwife (Mexico)
    Year
  • Document, Child and family integrative psychology (160 academic hours), Moscow Institute of Processual and Integrative Therapy, 2016 View document

    Child and family integrative psychology (160 academic hours)

    Moscow Institute of Processual and Integrative Therapy
    Year
  • Document, Art therapy for professionals (56 hours), MyPsy Centre of Practical Psychology, 2012 View document

    Art therapy for professionals (56 hours)

    MyPsy Centre of Practical Psychology
    Year
  • Document, Initiations of happy relationships (160 hours, 8 modules), MyPsy Centre of Practical Psychology, 2014 View document

    Initiations of happy relationships (160 hours, 8 modules)

    MyPsy Centre of Practical Psychology
    Year
  • Document, Contemporary aspects of physical preparation for pregnant women, Donetsk Regional Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Ministry of Health of Ukraine, 2010 View document

    Contemporary aspects of physical preparation for pregnant women

    Donetsk Regional Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Ministry of Health of Ukraine
    Year
    Country
    Ukraine
  • Document, Water-based preparation in work with pregnant women (9 hours), Aist Family Counselling Centre, 2010 View document

    Water-based preparation in work with pregnant women (9 hours)

    Aist Family Counselling Centre
    Year
    Country
    Ukraine

Memberships

  • Association for the Prevention of Traumatic Childbirth — Co-founder, chair
  • National Association of Psychologists of Ukraine
  • Complex Trauma Institute, York
  • European Doula Network

← Back to the registry