Nikolaos Athanassakis

I am a body-oriented psychotherapist, meaning that I work based on the principle that all psychological issues are rooted in the disruption of our connection to our body. "En soma," literally meaning "in the body," is borrowed from the ancient Greek saying "a healthy mind in a healthy body." The disconnection from our instincts, feelings and the resulting loss of identity is a product of both modern living and our specific developmental histories.

In my work, I aim to help people expand their body awareness and reconnect with their body's innate resources in order to regain their sense of self. My orientation and passion is finding the point where body and spirit meet. In my experience, it is this spark which ignites profound healing and transformation. 

My love affair with the body began as an athlete, playing basketball in my youth, on the collegiate level in the US and briefly as a professional in Greece. My experience in counseling people started with working with children with disabilities, a time during which I received my Master's degree in Educational Counseling from Azusa Pacific University in California. I transitioned to working with adults after moving to Greece.

I am a Certified Bioenergetic Therapist (CBT) by the International Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis and have trained in other modalities of psychotherapy. I am also a certified TRE® (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises) provider. I am a trained therapist with the Power of Light Institute, a program which empowers people to move beyond their self-limiting patterns into finding their passion for life.  Along with my father, we have created the Orphic Center, whose aim is to teach and facilitate people to experience the teachings of Orphism, the ancient Greek spiritual movement whose central tenet was the liberation of the soul from the restrictive forces which hold it prisoner.       

I am based in Athens, Greece. Please check my schedule for travel and workshops.