PsiAN Speaks: Dr. Oksana Yakushko
Editor’s note: The Forum will periodically post video interviews of authors, researchers, academics, and policymakers under the heading PsiAN Speaks. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect PsiAN’s official positions.
In this video, Natasha Reynolds, Psy.D. has a conversation with Oksana Yakushko, Ph.D., who is a steering committee member of PsiAN, as well as a psychologist and faculty member at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Dr. Yakushko discusses the historical context of the marginalization of depth-oriented psychotherapy practices, and explores questions around cultural and political shifts over time that impact psychotherapy treatment and academic research. Dr. Yakushko also shares some of her research, and her vision toward authentically teaching, researching, promoting, and supporting the practice of diverse forms of psychotherapy perspectives for diverse communities.
Dr. Yakushko, is a licensed psychologist and psychoanalytic trainee with a focus on the integration of feminist and critical perspectives in psychoanalytic and relational forms of clinical care. Her published work focuses on social issues including immigration, human trafficking, xenophobia, gender issues, and the impact of historical forms of oppression. She has written on indigenous healing practices, women’s spirituality, multicultural counseling approaches, and qualitative cross-cultural research methods. She has received several awards for her scholarly work and activism including an APA Presidential Citations (2008), (2011) and the Oliva Espin Social Justice Award (2008). In addition to her scholarly work, she has been active in the American Psychological Association and local initiatives focused on health and spirituality.
Natasha Reynolds Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist practicing in Chicago, Illinois. Alongside her private practice, she supervises and teaches as Clinical Associate Faculty at the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis (CCP), is an assistant professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and leads a psychoanalytic consultation and reading group for psychotherapists working across China.