Lena Laine

Lena Laine

I came into this field through many years of working with people who needed not only legal support, but also psychological care and human presence.

I began this work while still at university, volunteering on crisis hotlines in two Moscow crisis centers. One was the ANNA center for survivors of domestic violence, and the other was Sisters, a center supporting survivors of sexual violence.

In 2001, shortly after graduating, I joined the Dutch organization Russian Justice Initiative. At that time, it was a young organization working with applications to the European Court of Human Rights concerning human rights violations during armed conflicts.

Our work involved meeting with victims and their families, listening to their stories, conducting interviews, and supporting people through grief, trauma, and devastating loss.

In 2004, the organization received a prestigious Human Rights Award from the French government in recognition of its work. As the director of the organization, it was a profound honor for me to receive a medal from the Prime Minister of France.

Today, the organization has represented more than 2,000 clients in over 400 applications before the European Court of Human Rights. I remained connected to this work for nearly twenty years.

In December 2006, together with lawyers from the organization, I presented arguments before a panel of seven judges at the European Court of Human Rights regarding cases of enforced disappearances during armed conflicts.

In 2007, I was honored with the International Human Rights Award from the American Bar Association in recognition of my work providing legal assistance to victims of serious human rights violations.

In 2008, I moved to Estonia, where I continued working as a lawyer and counselor on hotlines and support lines at the Legal Information Centre for Human Rights.

From 2013 to 2020, I also worked as a consultant in the office of Member of the European Parliament Yana Toom.

Even during my years working in Moscow, I felt that my consultations often went beyond the boundaries of law. People rarely come with “just documents” — they come with fear, pain, loss, and deeply personal stories.

This understanding led me to study psychology. I later received a qualification in Clinical Psychology, Psychological Diagnostics, and Psychotherapy in Clinical and Educational Practice, with a specialization in the psychology of extreme situations, and was awarded the qualification of Clinical Psychologist and Crisis Psychologist.

I am a member of the Death Foundation Death Doula Registry and of the International Association of Professional Death Doulas (IAPO).

I am also a co-founder of the Estonian Death Doula Association.

Alongside my formal education, I studied thanatology and gerontology, exploring death not only from a physical perspective, but also through its spiritual, religious, and existential dimensions.

Because of this, I can speak with you about difficult and painful things — fear, death, loss, grief, depression, and the questions that are often hardest to say aloud.

You can bring to me the thoughts and feelings that may feel too heavy, too frightening, or too shameful to share even with those closest to you.

Fees

• Online consultation — €50
• In-person consultation — €50
• Travel and accompaniment services — by arrangement

aging, bereavement, complex diagnoses, dementia, divorce, end of life, fear of death, funeral planning, legacy project, life cleanup, losing yourself, migration, perinatal loss, pet death, rituals, support, tough talks, war

war