In a world that makes you feel not good enough, it's an act of rebellion to be yourself
Ioana
Hi, I'm Ioana
Your relationship therapist
(IFS, EMDR & Schema informed CBT)
The way we love is rarely random. It is shaped by what we learned about safety, worth and connection long before we chose a partner.
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As a relationship therapist, I help you uncover those patterns: the people you are drawn to, the roles you slip into, and the moments you lose yourself to keep the peace.
I know this work from the inside too. I know what it is like to feel not good enough, to give too much of yourself, and to wonder why connection feels so hard when you want it so much.
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My mission is to help you discover your love patterns: how you learned to love, what you learned to expect, and where you abandon yourself to keep connection. Together, we turn that understanding into change, so you can build secure, healthy and fulfilling relationships with yourself and others.
I can help with:
RELATIONAL TRAUMA- RELATIONSHIPS - BOUNDARIES - PURPOSE
Why we love the way we do
Our early experiences shape what we believe about ourselves, about love, and about what we can expect from others. When those beliefs are formed through pain, neglect or rupture, they don’t stay in the past. They show up in who we’re drawn to, how we handle conflict, and the moments we abandon ourselves to keep connection.
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People-pleasing, self-criticism, pulling away, or finding yourself in the same painful dynamic again: these are patterns, not personal failings. And patterns can change.
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I take a grounded, no-fluff approach, drawing on evidence-based models to help you:
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Understand your love patterns and where they come from
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Heal the past experiences that still shape your relationships
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Reconnect with needs that have gone unmet for too long
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Build relationships with yourself and others that feel secure, authentic and fulfilling
Your past can’t be rewritten, but how it lives inside you can change.
The focus is on you.
I am in the trenches with you; I don't just spew theory.
Nothing gives me more joy than working with someone willing and ready to explore and change some of the unhelpful ways trauma affected their lives. I am your biggest cheerleader. I am here to support you along the way, and the more effort you put in, the more I give you.
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I help you make sense of repeating unhelpful patterns
I help you make sense of how what has happened to you has shaped your view of yourself and the world, as well as help you to understand your behaviours and reactions. It is not always about getting rid of these patterns, as often they have served a great purpose in your life, but it is about empowering you to make choices that align with your values.
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I am not a one-trick pony
I am trained in a variety of therapies that are relational, trauma-focused and evidence-based. Whether we examine cognitive or behavioural patterns that keep us stuck using CBT, or we process stuck memories using EMDR, or we make sense of your childhood using schema and attachment theory, or even go inward and connect with our inner system through IFS, we can use what works for you.
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I use a trauma-informed approach
At the heart of what I do is working using a trauma-informed lens, which often means taking into account more than just our thoughts and behaviours. It means understanding our past in context, understanding ourselves and our human needs, and working with the body to let go of trauma.
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Reasons to work with me
You’re always waiting for them to leave or hurt you, scanning for signs, needing reassurance, or keeping your guard up so you can’t be caught off guard.
Deep down you don’t expect anyone to truly understand or meet your needs, so you stop asking, or you choose people who can’t give you what you need.
You believe that if someone really knew you, they wouldn’t stay. So you hide, overachieve or hold yourself to impossible standards to earn your place in love.
Old wounds from childhood or past relationships still get activated, and you’re ready to heal them rather than manage them.
You put everyone else’s needs first, struggle to say no, and go along with what others want, until you no longer know what you want.
My approach is grounded, honest and evidence-based, drawing on IFS, EMDR and schema-informed CBT. We go to the root of your patterns, with warmth and structure, so the change actually lasts.
The Therapies I Offer
IFS Therapy
This is for you if :
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You feel torn inside: part of you wants closeness, another part pushes it away
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You have a harsh inner critic that never lets you rest
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You react in relationships in ways that don’t feel like “you” and later regret
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You want to understand the protective parts behind your people-pleasing, avoidance or control
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You want to heal from the inside with compassion, not force
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EMDR
This is for you if:
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Past experiences or memories still feel raw, even if you’ve talked about them before
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Certain situations in relationships trigger reactions that feel bigger than the moment
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You understand your patterns intellectually but your body still reacts as if you’re unsafe
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You’ve experienced betrayal, rejection, loss or a painful relationship you can’t move on from
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You want a structured approach that works with how memories are stored, not just talking
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Schema Informed CBT
This is for you if:
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You keep repeating the same relationship patterns and want to know why
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You carry deep-rooted beliefs such as “I’m not enough,” “people always leave” or “my needs don’t matter”
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You fall into familiar roles in love, such as the caretaker, the overachiever or the one who stays too long
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You want a clear, practical structure alongside deeper emotional work
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You’re ready to understand where your patterns began and build new, healthier ways of relating
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Book an Initial Consultation
If you are ready to take the next step and would like to discuss how we can work together, then book a free 15-minute initial consultation.