Our Team
Marika Arapoglou Lemos
Founder and Chairwoman
Marika Arapoglou Lemos founded WITH YOU MAMA with the main goal to support pregnant women and mothers in a qualitative and effective way, in this new, unique but also demanding period of their lives. By creating a team of experienced professionals in the field of pregnancy and childbirth, family planning and early support for vulnerable groups, WITH YOU MAMA acts as a bridge between existing structures and new mothers. In modern times, women have to cope with a very demanding environment. During the period of pregnancy and postpartum they may encounter difficulties that are difficult to overcome without valid and quality emotional, psychological and practical support.
WITH YOU MAMA offers a hand of guidance, care and practical support: often, what a mum needs is sound advice from a midwife or guidance on her professional rights or the jobs she can look for based on her qualifications. Because no woman should ever feel alone, WITH YOU MAMA is creating a network of Care and Support with the ultimate goal of creating a larger community that embraces every new mom and her family and stands by her side with respect and dignity.
Marika was born in London and grew up in Athens. She studied Architecture at Parsons School of Design in New York, continued at Rhode Island School of Design and completed her studies in product design at Domus Academy, Nueva Academia di Belle Arti, Italy. She lives in Athens with her husband and their two children, and in addition to WITH YOU MAMA, she runs her architecture practice in downtown Athens. Her education, experiences and interests have strengthened her desire to create a support system of experienced scientists and professionals who staff WITH YOU MAMA.
Alexandra Neraida
Midwife
My name is Alexandra Fairy. I am a graduate of the Midwifery Department of the University of West Attica. My experience counts 32 years until today. With hundreds of Natural Births, Cesarean Births (VBAC) and breastfeeding counseling.
I have worked with Leto and Iaso maternity hospitals as a supervisor in the delivery room for 10 years and then as an external associate midwife in these hospitals as well as in Rhea and Matera maternity hospitals until today.
I know very well that childbirth is an important part of motherhood and therefore every woman deserves to have the right support and especially the respect to successfully respond to the above experience.
My goal is to ensure for her, this unique, unprecedented and incredible experience that will fill her with confidence and certainty that in the future she can achieve anything! I make sure to provide comprehensive obstetric care and assist the new mother with preparation classes according to the principles of modern obstetrics, as dictated by research and modern international protocols.
My goal is to make childbirth more painless and safe, breastfeeding easier and baby care more enjoyable. My sole purpose is to stand by the expectant mother in every easy or difficult moment, so that she has the smoothest yet most special experience experiencing motherhood.
Along with the baby at that moment a mother is born. This mother deserves to be helped according to her own wishes and priorities, to feel safe, secure and confident that everything will go as she has imagined and wants. Support is very important, especially from the midwife, her own ally in motherhood.
Angeliki Tsiftsi
Clinical Psychologist
Angeliki Tsiftsi is a clinical psychologist and family therapist specialising in BA,MSc,PgDip, she has years of experience working in the field of special education and mental health in London.
From 2016 to 2018, she worked with children on the Autism Spectrum as a Special Behavioral Therapist at the National Autistic Society and later worked with children with sensory impairments. She also worked with schools to inform and use teaching for people with sensory impairments to enable their learning needs to be met. In 2018, she worked as a Multisystemic therapist with adolescents who had symptoms of delinquent behavior using various models of psychotherapy such as family therapy, cognitive and behavioral therapy to keep the adolescents under the care of their family.
Then in 2021 she worked as a subordinate at the Early Years Parenting Hub, which is a support centre for parents with Emotional and Personality Disorders who have children aged 0-5 years. The aim of the programme was for parents to improve their relationship with their child and also to address their own issues using Mentalisation Based Therapy.
From May 2023, she is working in the NHS in England as a specialist psychotherapist with children with various psychological symptoms who live with foster parents. Angeliki also delivers lectures at the Anna Freud Institute on the use of mentalisation therapy to deal with clients who have challenging needs and require support to protect their children.
Rosina Palaiologou
Psychologist – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Rosina Palaiologou started her career in 2009 as a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Psychologist, when she received her license from the Prefecture of Athens with no. 11326/15-05-09.
She studied at the Psychology Department of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Crete.
As a GST Psychologist, she has 13 years of clinical experience in treating anxiety disorders, health anxiety, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, sleep disorders and interpersonal problems, infertility, perinatal problems and others.
Women’s mental health, especially during the perinatal period, is one of her main areas of interest.
She is a founding member of the Society for Women’s Mental Health.
In addition, she is a member of international scientific organizations [European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), The International Marcé Society for Perinatal Mental Health] for prenatal and postnatal mental health.
She is a coordinator of psycho-educational and support groups for women with infertility and women in pregnancy and postpartum.
She works with Obstetrics and Gynaecology Centres to train pregnant women in developing emotional resilience, managing postpartum stress and preventing postpartum depression.
Certifications
- Hellenic Society for Behavioral Research (EES)
- Society for Cognitive Behavioral Studies. A four-year programme of theoretical training and clinical practice according to the standards of the European Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapy through the Institute for Behavioural Research and Therapy (IETH).
- MBSR Teacher Training, Centre for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care & Society, Department of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts & Brown University in the USA.
- Regular participation in scientific workshops and conferences.
A scientific article by Rosina Palaeologou has been published in the journal Cognitive Behavioral Research & Therapy (Volume 05, Issue 01, January 2019 – December 2019, p. 13 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction “MBSR” P. Paleologou”).
Magdalini Alexandropoulou
General Director
Magdalini Alexandropoulou studied Political Science at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She holds two Master’s degrees: one in Children’s Rights from the Department of Education and Psychology at Freie Universität Berlin and one in Child Protection: Quality Development in Early Help and Child Protection from Alice Salomon Universität Berlin. She is a certified child protection consultant (ISEF, German state certification) and has direct access to expert networks in Germany in the field of Quality Development in Early Help and Child Protection (Kronberger Kreis für Dialogische Qualitätsentwicklung and Netzwerk QE-WiPrax, ASH Berlin). She completed additional training at the Institute for Trauma Therapy in Berlin, focusing on resource-oriented counselling approaches that build on individuals’ strengths, resilience and internal resources.
She has many years of academic and professional experience in the field of child protection and human rights. She has collaborated with the Council of Europe on programs focused on Roma inclusion in Greece (Athens and Drosero Xanthi) and in Germany (Berlin). She has been actively involved with international human rights organizations including Oxfam (London), AIESEC (Cairo), the Hellenic League for Human Rights (Athens), the Poznań Human Rights Center (Poland) and Humanity in Action (Berlin). From 2017 to 2022, she worked as a social worker at Prignitz Schule, a state-recognized special education and high-risk school in Berlin. During these years, she gained extensive experience in counselling and supporting children, adolescents, and families from vulnerable groups, as well as educators and other professionals. Through her work, she provided support within the family and school environment, established empowerment groups for children and parents, and offered counselling and support to educators, children, and families in cases of child endangerment.
In 2023, she was selected, within the framework of the implementation of the four-year Action Plan for Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe, as a member of the expert pool for the transfer of expertise to European Migration and Asylum Advisory Services.
She has published articles in scientific journals on child protection issues in Greece (Contemporary Issues, 2023), including her research titled Key Issues in Age Assessment Procedures of Unaccompanied Migrant Children in Greece and Germany – Assessing Age or Children’s Needs? (UNESCO Summer School, 2018), as well as on the protection of children’s rights in reception centres for asylum seekers with limited prospects of staying in Germany (Hildegard Lagrenne Stiftung, 2016).
Evangelia Asimakopoulou
Midwife
My name is Asimakopoulou Evangelia and I am a midwife, graduate of the Department of Midwifery of the Technological Educational Institute of Athens in 1990. Since then I have been working as a midwife in maternity hospitals in Athens.
My first experience in this field was at Leto Maternity Hospital, where I worked in the premature baby department, learning early on the difficulties and benefits of the profession.
Later, I obtained the position of midwife of the maternity department, then the supervisor, reaching with hard work and dedication the position of coordinator of the maternity department, which I have held for the last 13 years.
In 34 years of experience, I have had the opportunity to support and help women who have come to give birth and to make them experience the unique experience of giving birth safely, calmly and lovingly.
My goal has always been to follow the procedures and international obstetrical protocols that provide the baby with a safe delivery ensuring the health of both themselves and their fetuses and of course the best foundation for the journey of motherhood that is about to begin.
Vanna Kotzia
Educational and Child Psychologist
Dr. Vanna Kotzia is a Child Psychologist specializing in Educational and Child Psychology, PhD from the University College London (UCL) and holds a Greek and British license to practice as a Psychologist and is certified by the European Federation of Psychological Associations (EFPA, EuroPsy).
She is a certified Clinical Supervisor by the British Psychological Society (RAPPS) and certified in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for children and adolescents, approved by the British Psychological Society (BPS). She holds a position as an Assessor/Member of the British Psychological Society’s Educational Psychology and Child Psychology Training Section Committee. In recognition of her contribution to the science of psychology, the British Psychological Society awarded her the title of Associate Fellow.
She has worked as an Educational Psychologist and Child Psychologist in the public sector in the UK, working with nurseries, primary and secondary schools and special schools. In 2017 she became a founding member of Positive Minds Psychology which provides assessment, intervention and psychological support for children and adolescents, teacher training and supervision in public and private schools in London.
She is also an Associate Lecturer at Birkbeck University, University of London, where she teaches Educational Psychology, having also taught developmental psychology and child psychology. She has also served as an External Lecturer and Academic Tutor and Personal Tutor on Postgraduate and Undergraduate programmes at UCL and as a Clinical Supervisor on the Doctoral Programme in Educational Child Psychology at the Institute of Education (IOE), UK.
Elena Andriopoulou
Secretary
Yolanda Androutsou
Elena Veloni
Career Counselor
Elena Veloni is a certified, Senior-Level Career Counselor registered with the National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP, Registry A214). She possesses a comprehensive academic and practical background in employment counseling and social integration, holding two Master’s degrees—in Counseling and Career Guidance, and in European Social Policy—alongside a Bachelor’s degree in Social Anthropology. She is certified in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), applying its techniques to career development, and is fully trained in administering the e-mellon® psychometric tools by ISON Psychometrica.
Her extensive professional experience spans both public and private sectors, including a significant tenure at the Greek Public Employment Service (DYPA), where she served in the Career Guidance Directorate and at a regional Employment Promotion Center (KPA2). In these roles, she specialized in individual and group counseling, facilitating career decision-making, and matching beneficiaries with job opportunities aligned with their skills.
She has a proven track record of collaborating with diverse institutions, such as the Center for Educational Policy Development of the General Confederation of Greek Workers (KANEP-GSEE), the Korydallos Prison, various Vocational Training Centers (KEK), and Second Chance Schools (SDE) for adult learners, actively implementing EU-funded training and employment programs. Through these initiatives, she has consistently delivered career counseling and psychosocial support to individuals facing socioeconomic barriers or at risk of social exclusion. Committed to an empowering, strengths-based approach, she focuses on enhancing the positive psychosocial assets and resilience of her beneficiaries to ensure their sustainable integration and retention in the contemporary labor market.
Tina Panagopoulou
Psychologist and Family Therapist
Konstantina Panagopoulou is a psychologist, holding Professional License Number 5416/03, and a graduate of the University of Athens. She completed a four-year postgraduate training program in Family and Couples Therapy at the Open Psychotherapeutic Center, where she also served as a scientific associate. She later specialized in developmental trauma and is a certified NARM™ practitioner.
Since 2004, she has been working as a psychologist at the National Public Health Organization, focusing on health education and prevention among students and socially vulnerable groups, including Roma communities, mobile populations, and substance users, as well as on community intervention and crisis management. She also has extensive experience working with parents and couples’ groups, parental counseling, and adult psychotherapy.
She is a member of the Association of Greek Psychologists and the European Family Therapy Association, and currently serves as secretary on the board of the Family and Couples Therapy Association. In addition, she has attended numerous workshops, conferences, and seminars in Greece and abroad.
Olga Posonidou
Social Worker
Olga Posonidou is a Social Worker with extensive experience in psychosocial support, mental health, and family well-being. She holds a degree in Social Work from the Athens Technological Educational Institute (ATEI) and has completed specialized training in Systemic Family Therapy, Parent Education and Facilitation, as well as Counselling and Career Guidance.
Throughout her career, she has worked with leading national and international organizations, including Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), Caritas Hellas, Caritas Athens, the Greek Council for Refugees, and SAO Association Hellas, providing support to vulnerable individuals and communities.
Olga has served as Scientific Coordinator of psychosocial support programs focused on women, children, mental health promotion, and safe housing. She has also worked as a Social Worker and Specialized Support Counsellor for survivors of gender-based violence, as well as for people living with chronic illnesses and disabilities within mental health and palliative care services.
Her work is guided by a holistic, person-centered approach that empowers individuals and families to strengthen resilience, improve well-being, and navigate life’s challenges with confidence and dignity.