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Training and experience
My interest in psychology started with literature, music, and the writings of Freud. Formally, I began my training in Romania at West University of Timisoara, a prestigious academic environment with strong psychoanalytic roots. Later, I pursued my graduate training at York University under the mentorship of Dr. Leslie S. Greenberg, known as the primary originator of Emotion-Focused Therapy. I received my Masters of Arts in 2007, and my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2015. My therapeutic expertise focuses on psychodynamic, relational, and Emotion-Focused Therapy approaches. Over the course of more than a decade, I have gained extensive experience in providing assessment, diagnosis and treatment to adults in hospitals, university counselling centres and private practice.
Research and publications
My research work focuses on deepening our understanding of the therapeutic process of change; in other words, how do people transform while they undergo therapy for depression, interpersonal injuries and unresolved grief? To answer this question, I have explored in-depth the relationship between productive emotional expression, particularly anger, and making sense or resolving internal conflict during psychotherapy.
I have also always been particularly interested in the process of teaching complex sets of skills that involve emotionally salient knowledge. The book entitled “Supervision Essentials for Emotion-Focused Therapy,” written in collaboration with Dr. Leslie Greenberg and recently published by the American Psychological Association press, speaks to this interest. The book provides an in-depth exploration of the process of training and supervision for future therapists. |
Therapeutic approachAt the foundation of any psychotherapy there is a human encounter. As a therapist, I believe in the power of human connection and attachment, and in people’s innate ability for being and becoming. Sometimes, opposing forces coming from outside or from deep within prevent us from leading a personally fulfilling and authentic life. If in the midst of the storm one takes a moment to listen carefully, close their eyes and get in touch with that felt-sense, they will know what is needed in order to arrive precisely where they shall be. Such facilitated moment(s) can be worth an eternity, as they open the path to knowing themselves and mobilize the drive to break free, to take charge of life, to change. And if in this moment, you are wondering what all of this means, you are probably already on your way to beginning the journey.
In my practice, I use a blend of Emotion-Focused Therapy, Psychodynamic, Psychoanalytic and Relational approaches. The focus of therapeutic work is mutually agreed upon with the client. Professional memberships and awards
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