Yulia Zhirova is a certified psychotherapist, psychologist, and somatic movement practitioner. For about 25 years she has worked with complex trauma, including PTSD, burnout, anxiety, and life crises. Meetings are in Russian and English, in Tallinn and online. Contact Goyoga to arrange one.
How she works
Her work joins mind and body. She uses trauma-informed frameworks, including TIFT, as tools she was trained in. She practises it under supervision. A session stays inside a comfort zone. The work starts from what has been showing up in recent days: tension, numbness, anxiety, exhaustion, or a life crisis.
At Goyoga she also leads Nia 5 Stages. The class organises the body through movement. One-to-one meetings are arranged through Goyoga.
From the client's point of view
To understand Yulia Zhirova's practice from the client's point of view, it helps to look at the specific symptoms, feelings, and breaking points that drive people to her door.
People usually seek her out when traditional talk therapy alone isn't working, or when emotional stress has begun to manifest as physical pain and exhaustion.
Her typical clients generally fall into three distinct profiles based on the core problems they are trying to solve:
1. The Overwhelmed Professional (Burnout & Anxiety)
These clients are often high-achievers, corporate workers, or creatives in Tallinn who have pushed themselves past their limits.
The problem They realize they cannot think their way out of burnout. Their mind is exhausted, and their body feels like it is constantly running from an invisible danger (a state of permanent fight-or-flight).
Why they come to her They feel completely hollow, emotionally detached, or constantly on edge. They might experience racing thoughts, chronic insomnia, or sudden panic attacks.
2. The Trauma Survivor (PTSD & Emotional Blocks)
These individuals are dealing with the aftermath of deeply distressing events, prolonged childhood stress, or sudden life crises (like divorce, grief, or severe illness).
The problem Trauma is physically stored in the body. These clients come to her because her TIFT® framework offers a minimal exposure approach, meaning they can heal and process the trauma without having to repeatedly relive the painful details out loud.
Why they come to her Traditional therapy might feel too overwhelming for them because talking about the trauma triggers intense flashbacks, hypervigilance, or severe emotional numbing.
3. The "Disconnected" Individual (Chronic Stress & Body Numbness)
These clients often feel a deep sense of disconnect between their minds and their physical bodies.
The problem They have suppressed their emotions for so long that their body is doing the crying for them. They turn to her somatic movement classes to safely, gently wake up their nervous system and learn how to feel safe in their own skin again.
Why they come to her They might suffer from unexplained physical ailments, such as chronic muscle tension, neck and back pain, digestive issues, or a general feeling of being "heavy" or numb, that doctors cannot find a medical cause for.
For people with a dance background
For people with a dance background, Yulia Zhirova's classes and approach solve a completely different, highly specific set of problems.
While beginners come to her to find out how to move, trained dancers usually come to her to unlearn the toxic or rigid aspects of traditional dance training.
Dancers generally seek her out for three major reasons:
1. The Burned-Out Performer (Healing "Dance Trauma")
Traditional dance, especially ballet, contemporary, and competitive genres, is heavily focused on perfection, external aesthetics, and pushing through physical pain ("no pain, no gain").
The problem Many dancers develop a hyper-critical relationship with their bodies, experiencing performance anxiety, severe body dysmorphia, or emotional burnout.
Why they come to her Because her Nia and somatic movement classes have no "right" or "wrong" ways to move. She teaches dancers how to move for the internal sensation of pleasure and joy, rather than how it looks to an audience or a judge. It allows them to fall in love with dancing again, free from pressure.
2. Physical Rehabilitation (Injury & Movement Freedom)
Dancers are highly prone to repetitive strain injuries because traditional choreography forces the body into rigid, unnatural shapes.
The problem Chronic joint pain, back issues, and muscular imbalances that come from years of strict formatting.
Why they come to her Yulia's Nia 5 Stages practice focuses entirely on the natural, evolutionary mechanics of the human body (like spinal alignment and primal floor work). Dancers use her classes as a therapeutic tool to gently realign their joints, heal their nervous systems, and unlock fluid, organic movement patterns that their classical training ignored.
3. Reclaiming Creative Individuality
Many dancers spend years mimicking a choreographer's exact vision, which can end up suppressing their own creative voice.
The problem Feeling rigid, robotic, or disconnected from personal emotional expression when the music plays.
Why they come to her Nia blends dance with martial arts (like Aikido and Tai Chi). This intersection forces a trained dancer to shift from purely "pretty" movements to powerful, grounded, and explosive energies. It helps them break out of predictable habits and discover authentic improvisation.
Practices
Somatic Floorwork & Joint Realignment
Floor patterns from Nia 5 Stages and FLOORplay: rolling, crawling, and other developmental moves on the floor, so the spine and the joints can organise. Knee pads are part of this work. It is movement practice for the spine and the joints.
Restorative Somatics & Yin for Burnout
The slower, supported end of her somatic work, for people who are hollow, exhausted, or past the point of pushing. The pace is rest and a quieter nervous system.
Trauma-Informed Somatic Movement
Movement that stays with comfort. She also meets people one to one.
Somatic Nervous System Regulation (Nia)
This is the Nia 5 Stages class at Goyoga: five developmental movements, barefoot, in Russian and English. The class organises the body.
Questions
I have PTSD. Is the class enough?
The class is movement. One-to-one work is separate. Contact Goyoga.
Do I have to tell the whole story?
No. Sessions stay with what showed up in recent days.
How do I start?
Contact Goyoga. The studio handles the conversation. Meetings are in Tallinn and online, in Russian and English.
Is this emergency care?
No. If you need emergency care, contact the emergency services. This page is for arranged meetings.
