Katya Popova

Special fields: Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT), Child Behaviour Support in Family and Educational Settings, Parent Coaching

Age groups: Children aged 3–11; parents, caregivers and teachers

Consultations in Russian, English, German

Katya Popova is a child behaviour specialist, parent coach and play therapy practitioner with over ten years of experience working with children and families.

Her current practice focuses primarily on Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT), an approach developed by Garry Landreth that recognises play as a child's natural language. Through individual play sessions, Katya offers children a safe, accepting and non-judgmental environment in which they can express their feelings, explore their experiences and develop emotional awareness, confidence and self-understanding.

Alongside her work with children, Katya provides parent coaching and guidance, helping families better understand children's behaviour, recognise their emotional and developmental needs, and build stronger parent-child relationships. Her approach emphasises empathy, acceptance and respect for each child's individuality.

Academic Training and professional experience

Katya began working with children and families in Russia in 2015. She initially worked as a lead consultant for a parenting support project and later founded and managed her own online educational project for five years, providing consultations to families and training fellow consultants in children's sleep and behaviour. Following her completion of the Child Behavior Certification Programme in Canada in 2019, she expanded her practice internationally, providing online consultations to parents in different countries.

Katya has also worked with children in educational settings. At an international lyceum in Armenia, she worked as a teacher and facilitated extracurricular groups focused on developing children's emotional intelligence. She currently works as a Child Behaviour Specialist at Clarity International School in Portugal, supporting children, parents and teachers with behavioural and emotional challenges.

Since 2024, Katya has maintained a private practice in Lisbon, specialising in individual child-centred play sessions and parent coaching.

Katya is committed to continuous professional development and reflective practice. She participates in monthly group supervision with fellow practitioners and regularly receives individual supervision from her trainers and mentors. She also contributes to organising an annual online conference for Russian-speaking child-centred play therapy practitioners from around the world.

Professional Education: Professional Retraining Diploma (700 academic hours) in Family Psychology, RUDN University (Peoples' Friendship University of Russia), Moscow

Child Behaviour and Parent Coaching: Child Behaviour Certification Programme (CBCP). The Early Years Family Development Centre, Canada, Sharyn Timerman, 2019

Additional Professional Development:

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Lecture Series, Elisey Osin's School, 2026

  • DIR 101: An Introduction to DIR and DIRFloortime, ICDL, 2025

  • Child Nutrition and Eating Behaviour: Mary's Academy London, 2021