Mila Filippova

Who I am and why I write about this

I hold a degree in psychology — a specialist diploma from the Moscow State University of Psychology & Education, 2012. Since then I've completed more than 1,000 hours of continuing education, including abroad: training in the systemic approach at the Mental Research Institute (Palo Alto, USA) and a master's in professional counseling at Amberton University (Dallas, USA).

I've been in private practice since 2022, working with adult clients. I also have experience with teenagers — I run career-guidance sessions, previously worked with at-risk teens in a college setting, and I'm currently finishing continuing education in child psychotherapy. Since 2023 I've been a member of the All-Russian Professional Psychotherapeutic League.

Every article on the Karine blog is mine: I set the topic and structure of each piece and I'm responsible for what it says from a psychological standpoint.

Karine is built on the same principles as my in-person work: CBT, separating facts from interpretations, and a gentle approach to anxiety. I set the psychological framework the bot operates in, and I'm responsible for what's published on the blog. The bot itself is an automated, around-the-clock tool, and it doesn't replace personal therapy — sustained, deep work needs an in-person specialist.

What I work with in my in-person practice

• Anxiety, intrusive doubts and fears
• Self-esteem and the "inner critic"
• Relationship crises and difficulties
• Finding your path — in life, in your career
• The feeling of being "in the wrong place" or that your current life doesn't fit

Approaches I use

CBT, Gestalt therapy, schema therapy, art-therapy techniques, brief strategic therapy, systemic family therapy, and metaphorical association cards — I choose the method to fit the specific request rather than working from a single school.

How I approach the material

Every article is grounded in specific sources — research, books by recognized specialists, clinical guidelines. The reading list appears at the end of each piece.

I set the topic and structure, make sure the advice is psychologically sound, and mark where self-help ends and where an in-person consultation with a specialist becomes necessary.

Who else makes Karine

My co-author on the project is Alexander Filippov, who's responsible for the product and the technology.

Read about Alexander →