NATALIA KHUDOKONENKO, LAC
Licensed Associate Counselor
Specialized Areas:
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Adults
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Complex Trauma
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Eating Disorders
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Depression/Anxiety
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Cultural & Bicultural Identity
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LGBTQIA+ Community
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Grief and Loss
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Attachment-Based Parenting
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Additional Trainings/Certifications:
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Gottman Method: Level One and Two
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Integration of CBT/DBT and ACT for Eating Disorders
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Internal Family Systems / Parts work
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Trauma-Informed Therapy
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Existential Therapy
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Developmental Attachment Approach (Neufeld Institute)
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Locations:
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Casa Grande Office
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Virtual (within Arizona)
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Languages Spoken:
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English
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Spanish
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Russian
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Natalia is currently receiving clinical supervision directly under Katlyn Lawson, LPC.
My path began in a small Russian town, where I was paving my way toward my dreams through perfectionism, compliance, and putting others first. Today, I know that it was because I lived (and still do) with anxiety, but at that time, I was proud (and still do) of being that friend who always had it all together.
I was always fascinated by people's inner worlds and wanted to travel abroad to learn about diverse human experiences. Thanks to this inner calling, I went on an exchange program in France, where I met my current Mexican partner, whom I followed to Mexico City, opening a new chapter of my life: becoming an immigrant.
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Navigating marriage, motherhood, the loss of friendships, and pausing my career because of the move, I found myself extremely confused. From the outside, my life looked perfect, but inside, I wanted to end my life by suicide. I started personal therapy and learned that what was keeping me afloat—and what had helped me meet high societal and internalized expectations back in Russia—was an eating disorder.
That was a hard pill to swallow because I had been doing everything that was expected of me: as a daughter, a student, and a young married woman. Yet I never found the happiness I had been promised. Later on, while studying my Master's program in Counseling at Prescott College, I learned about feminism and decolonizing lenses for understanding human experiences. That helped make sense of the discrepancy in my own confusion. But before that, I had begun getting to know parts of myself and learning how to live authentically thanks to the healing relationship my counselor could create with me. That connection was the greatest gift I have ever received from another human being. It inspired me to pass it forward and begin my career in mental health as soon as we moved to Casa Grande.
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Nowadays, I continue my own inner liberation work and explore the uncharted territories of myself through dance, learning, experiencing diverse ways of connecting with my friends, supporting social justice, resting, volunteering with my daughter's Girl Scout troop, and expanding my academic career.
ABOUT ME
BACKGROUND
My personal history of immigrating to two different countries, learning about these cultures through their languages, embracing feminist and decolonizing lenses, and witnessing diverse experiences of local people eradicated the pathology lens from my professional toolkit. Instead, it cultivated a stance of meeting each person as a unique individual navigating their cultural, political, and relational context with the skills, resources, and privileges available to them—or, at times, without them.
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While I support people in developing the skills needed to navigate their current challenges, my primary focus is helping them heal what they may have already sensed lies at the root of their pain, but have never had the space or safety to face. I see my role as accompanying unique human beings on a journey to restore their relationship with themselves—their body, emotions, inner wisdom, and the world around them—so that this connection can become meaningful and unapologetic.
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I help people develop insight into the roots of their presenting concerns through Humanistic-Existential philosophy, a feminist lens, Parts Work, Liberation Psychology, and Collapse Psychology. From there, I support the healing process through inner child work, expressive arts, somatic approaches, and strengthening connections with significant others, while equipping clients with practical skills and resources drawn from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
INSURANCE & CASH PAY RATES
Insurance Plans In-Network:​
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Aetna
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Victim Compensation Fund
Cash Pay Rates:
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Initial Intake (60 minutes): $150
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Individual Session (55 minutes): $130
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Family & Couples Session (80 minutes): $170
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​Family & Couples Session (55 minutes): $150
