Наталія

NATALIIA ZHANIAKO
Mental Health & Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Specialist | Training & Capacity Building
Odesa, Ukraine | [відкрити контакти](див. вище в блоці «контактна інформація») | [відкрити контакти](див. вище в блоці «контактна інформація»)
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Psychologist and project management professional with 12+ years of progressive experience in humanitarian response, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), women's economic empowerment, and community-based protection programming in conflict-affected Ukraine. Skilled in designing and delivering participatory training curricula, providing individual and group psychosocial support, and coordinating multi-sector partnerships with UN agencies, government bodies, and civil society. Consistent record of managing programme cycles from inception to donor reporting, with direct accountability for results across IDP, veteran, and GBV-affected populations. Certified in CBT and Schema Therapy; formally trained in GBV case management, trauma-informed practice, and IHL. Combines clinical grounding with operational project management competencies required by international humanitarian and development organisations.
CORE COMPETENCIES

▸ MHPSS Programme Design & Delivery Individual/group PSS, trauma-informed care, CBT, Schema Therapy, crisis stabilisation
▸ Training Design & Facilitation Adult learning, participatory methods, ToT, curriculum development, 150+ sessions facilitated
▸ Project Cycle Management Workplanning, budget oversight, M&E frameworks, donor reporting, stakeholder coordination
▸ GBV Prevention & Response GBV awareness, survivor-centred case management, referral pathway mapping, community sensitisation
▸ Livelihoods & Career Development Employability coaching, vocational guidance, entrepreneurship support, FOP/business start-up facilitation
▸ Community Engagement & Mobilisation IDP and veteran outreach, employer engagement, multi-sector coordination, local authority liaison
▸ Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting KPI tracking, needs assessments, programme documentation, results-based reporting
▸ Target Group Expertise IDPs, GBV survivors, veterans, women at risk, youth, persons with special needs
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Project Manager - WOMEN Hub Odesa
NGO Culture of Democracy · Odesa, Ukraine · Jan 2025 - Present
Managed the full project cycle of a multi-component women's economic empowerment initiative funded by international donors, targeting IDPs and women affected by conflict in Odesa Oblast. The project integrated livelihoods, GBV prevention, and psychosocial support into a cohesive community-based programme.
• Designed and led a structured training and capacity-building programme encompassing entrepreneurship, career development, digital literacy, and financial skills, directly benefiting 50+ women per cycle.
• Established and managed referral pathways connecting beneficiaries with employment services, grant funding, legal support, and FOP (sole trader) registration, ensuring integrated case follow-up.
• Coordinated a multi-stakeholder partnership network comprising international donors, local government, employment centres, private sector employers, and 10+ civil society organisations, facilitating joint planning and resource mobilisation.
• Developed and maintained all project documentation including activity plans, M&E tools, beneficiary databases, and progress reports in compliance with donor requirements.
• Organised community awareness events and employer engagement sessions to address barriers to women's labour market participation and challenge discriminatory hiring practices.
Selected Results
• Facilitated employment, reskilling, or business start-up for 40+ women and IDP beneficiaries within the project period.
• Delivered 20+ training sessions and 15+ career counselling events across Odesa Oblast, consistently meeting or exceeding planned output targets.
• Grew the project's active partner network by 30%, adding employment centres, professional associations, and businesses as service referral partners.
• Achieved 100% of agreed donor indicators in the first reporting cycle; received positive feedback from the donor on quality of reporting and stakeholder engagement.
Senior Career Counsellor & Psychologist
Odesa Regional Employment Centre · Odesa, Ukraine · 2023 - Present
Embedded within a state employment authority during active conflict, delivering psychosocial support, vocational guidance, and employability training to IDPs, veterans, women, and youth under high-volume humanitarian caseloads.
• Facilitated 150+ group training sessions, webinars, and psychoeducational programmes for conflict-affected populations, covering soft skills, stress management, job-search strategies, and career planning.
• Provided 300+ individual career counselling sessions, including needs assessment, competency mapping, tailored employment pathway planning, interview preparation, and reskilling referrals.
• Delivered psychosocial first aid and psychological support to clients presenting with trauma symptoms, burnout, grief, and displacement-related distress, applying trauma-informed and stabilisation techniques within professional scope.
• Conducted structured needs assessments for each client to identify employability barriers - including language, skills gaps, childcare, and mental health - and designed individualised action plans accordingly.
• Coordinated with a network of employers, vocational training providers, NGOs, and international project offices to expand client access to funded training and job placement opportunities.
Selected Results
• Reached an estimated 2,000+ beneficiaries through group sessions over two years; achieved measurable increases in job-search readiness as reflected in post-session evaluations.
• Maintained a client satisfaction rate above 90% across individual counselling cases based on service feedback mechanisms.
• Contributed to a 25% increase in successful employment referrals within the centre through improved needs assessment and partner coordination processes.
Working Group Lead - Employment & Livelihoods
IDP Community Advisory Council · Odesa Community · 2023 - Present
• Chaired the Employment and Professional Development Working Group within the IDP Advisory Council, coordinating civil society advocacy on labour market access for displaced populations.
• Conducted participatory needs assessments with IDP community members to identify barriers to employment, reskilling, and social integration; produced evidence-based recommendations submitted to local authorities.
• Facilitated multi-sector coordination with representatives of UNHCR, UNICEF, USAID-funded programmes, employers, and educational institutions to align service delivery and reduce duplication.
• Initiated and co-organised 10+ community information sessions and group consultations on employment rights, available services, and professional development pathways for IDPs.
Practical Psychologist | Methodologist | Tutor
Open European School; VPU No.2; Preschools - Odesa & Kherson · 2013 - 2024
• Provided psychological assessment, individual and group corrective intervention, and socio-emotional learning programmes for children aged 3-18, including children with special educational needs (SEN).
• Designed 30+ individualised educational pathways (IEPs) resulting in measurable improvements in academic engagement, behaviour, and emotional regulation.
• Built institutional capacity through regular CPD trainings, peer supervision, and methodological workshops for teaching staff across multiple educational settings.
• Implemented a child development monitoring system that enabled data-driven, personalised pedagogical practice across the institution.
• Delivered 200+ consultations for parents on child development, adaptation challenges, and family communication strategies.
Founder & Managing Director
Child Development Centres: Dytyna | Sovenyatko | Maksik · LLC Blik (Psychology & Defectology Practice) ·2013 - 2022
• Founded and managed a portfolio of three child development centres and a specialist clinical practice, overseeing programme design, staffing, financial management, and quality assurance.
• Authored 15+ original developmental curricula for children aged 2-7 across emotional development, sensory integration, socialisation, art therapy, and school readiness.
• Recruited, trained, supervised, and mentored a multidisciplinary team of educators, psychologists, and therapists; introduced structured supervision and reflective practice protocols.
• Led SEN services including individual corrective therapy, defectology assessment, and family support programmes within the LLC Blik practice.
Corporate Relations Manager | Internal Trainer | Credit Analyst
Raiffeisen Bank Aval | PrivatBank | Bank Mykhailovsky · ~2008 - 2013
• Designed and delivered internal training programmes in sales performance, service excellence, complaint resolution, and business communication for branch staff.
• Implemented 20+ corporate payroll projects with major business clients; served as primary relationship manager for mid-to-large corporate accounts.
• Mentored newly hired staff through structured onboarding and performance coaching programmes, contributing to faster ramp-up and reduced turnover in supervised teams.
EDUCATION

• Clinical Psychology - Graduate Qualification (900 hrs / 30 ECTS) Alfred Nobel University, Dnipro, Ukraine · 2026
• Clinical Psychology: Foundational & Applied Aspects (900 hrs) NGO Agency for Emergency Medical Aid, Ukraine · 2026
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) & Schema Therapy (60 hrs) Centrum Rozwoju Personalnego, Wrocław, Poland · 2024
• M.A. - Psychology, Pedagogy & Education Management National Pedagogical Dragomanov University, Kyiv, Ukraine · 2018
• Diploma - Preschool Education & Arts Instruction Berdychiv Pedagogical College, Ukraine · 2013
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & CERTIFICATIONS

Protection, GBV & International Humanitarian Law
• Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence (0.6 ECTS) - Higher School of Public Administration · UNFPA, Ukraine · 2025
• Providing Initial Support to GBV Survivors - IOM · UNHCR · UNFPA · UNICEF · 2025
• Violence against Women and Domestic Violence for Law Enforcement (6 hrs) - Council of Europe, HELP Programme · 2025
• Fundamentals of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) - 2025
Trauma, Mental Health & Veteran Reintegration
• Propedeutics of Mental Disorders (90 hrs / 3 ECTS) - Lesia Ukrainka Volyn National University · 2026
• Traumatic Experience and PTSD: Clinical Tools for Practitioners
• Psychology of Stress and Coping - Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University · 2025
• Psychology in Combat Conditions - Military Psychologist Competencies
• Navigating Veterans' Return & Reintegration - Partnership for a Strong Ukraine Foundation · Prometheus · 2025
• Anti-Stress Techniques in Wartime - 2023
Digital Literacy & Information Security
• OSINT: Open Source Intelligence & Information Security - Victory Drones · Dignitas · Prometheus · 2025
• Introduction to AI Tools (ChatGPT)
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

• Association of Clinical Psychologists and Psychotherapists of Ukraine (ACPPU) - Membership No. ACCU-25-476
• Ukrainian Psychological Association - Active Member