I am passionate about helping people like you, whose unique stories make them who they are today. Your difficulties, no matter how challenging, are also a chance for healing and becoming. Together, we will explore and discover defining events and people in your life, your struggles and iterations. With time, you will feel empowered and connected to the most authentic and courageous version of yourself.
My interest in psychology started with literature, music, and the writings of Freud. Formally, I began my journey in psychology in Romania at West University of Timisoara, a prestigious academic environment with strong psychoanalytic roots. Later, I immigrated to Canada and pursued my graduate training at York University, where I earned my Masters and Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Leslie Greenberg, the developer of Emotion-Focused Therapy. For more than a decade, I have provided assessments, diagnosis and treatment to adults with various types of difficulties in hospitals, university counselling centres, and private clinics in Toronto.
As a psychologist, 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 fulfilling and authentic life. If in the midst of the storm one takes a moment to close their eyes and listen carefully to get in touch with that felt-sense, they will know what is needed in order to arrive precisely where they shall be. Such is therapy: a facilitated moment that can be worth an eternity, as it opens the path to knowing yourself and mobilizing the drive to break free, to take charge of life, to change.
To find out more about my therapeutic approach, go to Psychotherapy
My research focuses on understanding change in therapy. Specifically, I wanted to know how depressed people change during therapy when addressing attachment injuries and unresolved grief. To answer this question, I explored the relationship between emotional expression (assertive anger), and the resolution of depression in psychotherapy.
In addition, I have always been particularly interested in the process of teaching complex therapy skills that involve emotionally salient knowledge. The book entitled “Supervision Essentials for Emotion-Focused Therapy,” written in collaboration with Dr. Leslie Greenberg and published by the American Psychological Association speaks to my interest. This book provides both a theoretical and practical perspective on teaching, training and supervising psychotherapists (more under Supervision and Consultation)
Registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO)
Member of Ontario Psychological Association (OPA)
Former member of OPA Board of Directors
Former lead of the Disaster Response Network
Member of Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology (Division 39 of American Psychological Association)
Trained in Emotion-Focused Therapy
Recipient of scholarships and awards, including the Scholar Award presented by the Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology of the American Psychological Association.
