Masha Serdyukova, LCSW, MPH, SEP

I’m Masha, a body-centered trauma therapist and co-founder of The Hinterlands. My approach is rooted in the belief that healing and justice are intertwined—both personal and collective. I work toward building accountable communities and envision a world without prisons, where care and liberation are at the forefront. Through my practice, I integrate abolitionist, anti-racist, anti-fascist, de-colonial, disability justice, healing justice, and feminist principles. This work is ongoing, and I am deeply committed to the education and growth needed to keep pushing forward.

As an immigrant and former refugee, I carry the histories and stories of my Jewish, Ukrainian, and Russian heritage. Fluent in Russian and currently learning Ukrainian, I have a personal connection to the complex intersections of identity, culture, and history. My chosen community is made up of queers, misfits, and rabble-rousers—the people who speak up, stand out, and disrupt systems that harm us.

In my work as a therapist, I approach trauma with a feminist, relational lens, grounded in the understanding that trauma isn’t just an individual experience—it’s shaped by capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy. I believe that healing requires understanding these systems and how they show up in our bodies. I draw from a wide range of practices, including somatics, mindfulness, polyvagal theory, attachment theory, and neuroplasticity. I became a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in 2018 and have completed training in Transformation in Action and Somatics and Resilience through generative somatics. I’ve also trained in psychedelic integration with MAPS and in EMDR through EMDRIA. For those who wish to work on developmental trauma, I offer healing touch sessions, having trained with Steve Terrell and Dave Berger.

In our work together, I tailor my approach to meet the unique needs of each person. Sessions may include talk-based therapy, healing touch, or a blend of both. When we incorporate touch, it’s always with clear consent and mutual attunement, and it’s aimed at helping process trauma stored in the body while increasing emotional resilience and awareness.

I’m especially curious about the ways ancestral trauma, immigration, and diaspora shape our experiences and our healing processes. I’m invested in exploring the healing practices of my own people, and in understanding how trauma is carried in the cultural body.

Over the years, I’ve also been involved in political projects that focus on community care and transformation, including the Chicago Mutual Aid Conflict Resolution Team, the Chicago Healing Justice Network, the Fed Up Fest collective, FASN/F12, Samizdat Zine Library, Papercut Zine Library, and the Boston Skillshare Collective. My community work is driven by a commitment to creating spaces for healing and transformation within movements for liberation.