Values
I believe in every individual's inner capacity to grow and change. In my ideal world, people are encouraged to explore themselves and expand continuously in beautiful, multi-dimensional ways. They also have enough free time and energy to dance and chuckle beneath the stars, throwing a rumpus reminiscent of the characters in Maurice Sendak's books.
I believe in personal responsibility and taking charge of your life. Remember Mark Renton from Trainspotting? Choose life, because no one else can do it for you. Just like a broken vase turns into an even more valuable thing through the noble art of kintsugi, we can learn to reframe and assign meaning to the dark moments in our lives. Change is possible, no matter what you have experienced.
I believe in walking the talk and living what I preach. Discipline, self-care, and self-compassion are things I hold dear that have helped turn my life around.
Empowerment
personal responsibility
walking the talk.
'Human beings are works in progress that mistakenly think they’re finished. The person you are right now is as transient, as fleeting, and as temporary as all the people you’ve ever been. The one constant in our life is change.'
Dan Gilbert
Befriend your nervous system
and understand yourself better.
Keywords: interoception, anxiety,
triggers, habit implementation
Offerings
What is somatic coaching?
The term somatics derives from the Greek word Somatikos (of the body). Somatic coaching is a type of coaching that focuses on the integration of the mind and body to enhance overall well-being and performance. It involves working with the body's physical sensations and postures to access the individual's thoughts and emotions.
Somatic coaching typically involves various techniques, such as breathing exercises, body awareness practices, and mindfulness meditation. These techniques help the individual become more attuned to their body, develop self-regulation skills, and build better interoceptive awareness. Interoception refers to the sense of the body's internal state, including sensations such as hunger, thirst, pain, and temperature regulation. It involves the detection and processing of signals from the body's internal organs and tissues and is crucial for maintaining homeostasis and responding to internal changes. The brain uses interoceptive information to guide behavior and decision-making.
This coaching perspective assumes people change when they engage in practices that shift who they are on neurobiological&self-concept levels. We learned from the G.I. Joe Fallacy that knowing is NOT half the battle. If acquiring information was enough, we would live in a world full of healthy, content, active people. This is where habit change, accountability, and the power of safe relationships come into play. Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement, and by actively engaging in science-based habits and nourishing practices, you step into an expanded space of creative freedom and possibility.
Mission
About two decades ago, on a cloudy afternoon in eastern Romania, I stumbled upon a small book with oriental breathing and relaxation practices.
As an 11-year-old struggling with anxiety away from home, I felt I had discovered a small treasure. That sensation re-emerged when I read my first book on neuroplasticity, understanding that change is possible at a cellular level.
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to reorganize and adapt to changes in its environment, experiences, and learning; it is a critical aspect of the brain's ability to learn, remember, and recover from injury or disease. A glimmer of hope reappeared on the horizon, which inspired me to keep digging further.
I had spent my twenties asking myself and those around me thousands of questions, particularly why questions. The replies I received from outside (family, conventional medicine, organized religion) felt unsatisfactory, incomplete, and often confusing. I deeply yearned to understand the root causes of symptoms, behaviors, and patterns. A few of the struggles I overcame during the years were anxiety, depression, chronic health issues (inflammation & allergies), unhealthy lifestyle, and toxic relationships. There was a general sense of being lost and directionless, painting the canvas of my life with a gloomy undertone.
My healing journey took me through years of therapy, hundreds of books, and alternative healing practices, culminating in psychedelic-assisted therapy in lovely Amsterdam. Now I direct my attention rather inwards when searching for an answer.
I am dedicated to understanding the human psyche's fascinating intricacies while holding things lightly.
Studies & certifications
Compassionate Inquiry Online Training (dr. Gabor Maté&Sat Dharam)
Certified Coach, Humanco
Mental Health Practitioner, The Academy for Modern Applied Psychology
The Advanced Master Program on the Treatment of Trauma, NICABM (National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine)
The neurobiology of trauma, NICABM
The Science of Well-Being, Yale University
Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life, University of Chicago
BA Psychology, Babes-Bolyai University, in training
MA CESI, University of Bucharest, Visual Cultural Studies
BA Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest
Breath Coach, YOGABODY®
The Neuroscience of Breathing, NeuroMindfulness® Institute
BASI® Pilates Mat Instructor
Nervous System Tune-up, Irene Lyon, in training
Vagus Nerve Masterclass, Jessica Maguire
Five fun facts
🌍 Over the years, I have lived in four countries and eight cities. This experience has taught me the importance of both independence and quality friendships. During times of change and uncertainty, healthy habits and discipline can be incredibly helpful.
👩🏻🏫 I love learning for the sake of learning, be it swimming, Pilates, video editing or a new language.
🤓I have had a lifelong obsession with self-inquiry and personal development. This obsession has allowed me to transform and shift my self-concept from an angsty, smoking teen who partied every weekend, to the current version of myself who is more in touch with my femininity and well-being. I now have more self-compassion, healthy habits, a sense of purpose, better health than a decade ago, and live mindfully while being connected to spirituality.
💃🏻 Before delving into psychology and coaching, I worked as a language teacher and a hostess. During my time as a language teacher, I experienced the heart-warming beauty of social connection and the natural creativity that emerges when doing what we enjoy. As a hostess, I learned that wearing heels, a uniform, and a smile for ten hours a day is not as easy as it may seem.
🪷 I enjoy tea, music festivals, nonfiction books, forest bathing, and Japanese ambiental music.
Let's connect!
Fed up with feeling anxious and disconnected, as if you are a stranger to yourself? Tired of feeling lost and purposeless? That is where I come from too. Life is too short to be lived like that.
Book your free consultation call below.
My tools include coaching techniques, Compassionate Inquiry (a psychotherapeutic approach developed by dr. Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam ND), breathwork, and habit implementation.
'And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.'
Anais Nin
