About
Who I am, what I do, and why I do it
A few things we can take as given
I’m an atheist without supernatural beliefs. You won’t need to wonder whether an interpretation owes something to astrology, manifestation, or a higher plan. That shared understanding gives us a solid starting point, though it tells me very little about what has brought you here or how you experience your life. That is what we get to investigate.
Hi, I’m Malka; I’m pleased to meet you
I’m a certified (neuro)psychoanalyst with a PhD in evolutionary anthropology and an MSc in psychotherapy science. I offer online psychoanalysis for atheists without supernatural beliefs. Our work takes place through sustained, in-depth conversation, starting with your experience and examining the unconscious processes that shape how you feel, think, and act. As these gradually become more accessible to awareness, we can begin to understand what keeps a difficulty going and work toward changing it. This takes time and usually involves returning to something you thought you’d already understood, sometimes more often than you’d like. The aim is lasting change in how you experience and live your life.
How we work together
Individual psychoanalysis takes place through regular video sessions. You speak freely, while I ask questions and offer interpretations for us to examine. We pay attention to the feelings and expectations that emerge, including those you experience in relation to our conversations.
Alongside individual work, I offer ongoing analytic groups of up to eight people. Members join when a place opens. You are welcome to join my educational events, too.
My practice is an inclusive space
Within my practice for atheists without supernatural beliefs, I’m LGBTQ+ affirming, kink-aware, sex-positive, weight-inclusive, and neurodivergence-informed. I also work with childfree adults and ex-believers, including people who have left high-control religions or cults. Your relationships and ways of living are welcome on their own terms. Sharing a worldview leaves plenty of room for distinctness in how you live.
You like to read the fine print?
I appreciate that. Here’s the slightly less tidy account of how I got here.
The prelude
My professional path was anything but straight. It involved changing courses and collecting degrees in fields that sometimes had very little to do with one another or with what I do today. I studied language and literature, journalism, advertising and marketing, and got certified as a personal trainer and a clinical ethologist. My work took me through education and advertising, television, HR, business development, and academic research, among other fields. Inside and outside work, I’ve moved more times than I care to count and pursued enough interests to make my biography inconvenient.
My training and work
Psychology was something I kept returning to, so eventually I committed. I completed a BSc and an MSc in psychotherapy science, alongside a clinical qualification in psychoanalysis and neuropsychoanalytic training. I later completed a PhD in evolutionary anthropology and am currently undertaking the extended clinical training at the International Neuropsychoanalysis Society.
Alongside my studies, I worked in clinical practice and research, contributing to public and private projects on mental health and well-being. In private practice, I worked with people whose lives looked enviably successful and others trying to only get theirs together (sometimes the same people).
What you get from all that
My background gives me several ways to approach a question and a broad range of experience to draw on as we look for solutions that fit. I’m interested in how your patterns developed, what they accomplish for you, and why they may persist after you’ve decided you’d prefer something else. We examine our explanations against your experience and explore what happens when you try things differently.
My background in evolutionary anthropology and neuropsychoanalysis informs how I approach mental health and personal development. I bring that knowledge to our conversations while paying attention to your particular history and circumstances. I explore the art and science in more detail on the blog.
Why Work With an Atheist Psychotherapist?
Being an atheist without supernatural beliefs has remained consistent throughout my life. I know the value of working with someone whose judgment you can trust, including from experiences with clinicians whose beliefs left me questioning their reasoning. I want you to have access to thoughtful, knowledgeable support without wondering whether an interpretation comes from magical thinking. Sharing that starting point makes us a resilient team.
What would you like to discover?
Perhaps something keeps happening despite your efforts to change it, or you’ve reached a point where your usual explanations no longer satisfy you. You may simply want to understand yourself better. You can arrive with an unfinished thought; finding out what you mean is part of the work.
In a first conversation, we’ll discuss what brings you and what you want from our collaboration. You’ll also have a chance to find out how it feels to talk with me, which tells you something no amount of fine print can.
See session fees and practical information, or contact me with a question.
Poke Around in My Mind:
A Quick Tour of the Voices in My Head
The world is crowded with all kinds these days. I’m sure you’ve seen wild stuff. Before you spend too much time digging through my content to figure out my specific angle, I wanted to make the first impression easy. I put together a cheat sheet. It’s a punchy collection of insights that permanently swirled my mind and life. Grab it to see if my flavor of reality matches your taste.