Olena Sushan

At the center of Olena's work is the person, with their history, vulnerability, inner conflicts and ways of surviving that may themselves become a source of suffering over time. She combines evidence-based medicine, contemporary psychiatry and psychotherapy with close attention to how a person experiences their body, food, shame, control, intimacy and sense of self-worth.

An eating disorder almost never exists separately from the rest of a person's life. It may be intertwined with anxiety, depression, traumatic experiences, perfectionism, harsh self-criticism, neurodivergence, difficult family relationships and a desperate need to keep at least something under control. Olena therefore seeks to understand the disorder's internal logic: what it protects the person from, what it helps them endure, what it gradually takes away and why recovery can feel both desirable and frightening.

Olena conducts clinical assessments of eating disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions, evaluates the need for medication and works with the person to develop a safe and realistic treatment plan. She explains her clinical decisions, speaks honestly about the possibilities and limitations of treatment, and respects each person's right to ask questions, have doubts and influence their own recovery.

Her approach is direct, sincere and realistic: without pressure, judgment or promises of rapid change, and with respect for each person's vulnerability, autonomy and pace.

Her work is grounded in the belief that human dignity is not diminished by weight, diagnosis, the past or years of suffering, and that the capacity for freedom, growth and reconnection with oneself can remain even after a long struggle.