Services - Ioana Cupșa

Therapeutic approach

I offer an integrative approach.

My basic approach is Transactional Analysis. Transactional Analysis brings humanistic values and offers me the flexibility and depth to use different models and concepts in psychotherapeutic work.

En tant que thérapeute, je prête souvent attention à ce qui se passe dans la relation entre moi et le client, car il s’agit d’une relation réelle. Cette relation peut être utilisée par le client comme un véhicule pour une meilleure compréhension de lui-même et donc pour le changement.

TA is a social psychology developed by Eric Berne in the United States in the late 1960s. Its theory evolves around key concepts such as ego states (Parent, Child, Adult), transactions, psychological games, life scripts that are applied to understand interpersonal dynamics (between people and within groups) and also internal dynamics, within oneself.

In Transactional Analysis we use cognitive/behavioral intervention models as well as affective/psychodynamic work methods that can be applied to individuals, groups and couples.

The client is led to discover and transform his or her habitual physical and psychological patterns that have an impact on well-being and which prevent him from fulfilling his aspirations.

I am also trained in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (Level I and II), a somatic psychotherapy and present-centered approach that cultivates mindfulness and facilitates the client's attentive presence to the different aspects of theirs organization of experience (internal sensations, movements or impulses, perceptions, emotions, thoughts).

Drawing on somatic therapies, neuroscience, cognitive approaches and attachment theory, Dr. Pat Ogden developed a therapeutic model in the early 1970s in which the body is central to the treatment and healing of traumatic experiences and developmental problems that interfere with a person's well-being.

In my work with couples I use the Developmental Model for Couple Therapy. This model offers a theoretical understanding about the developmental stages of a couple relationship and facilitate a diagnosis of couples issues while offering practical models of interventions that address what is needed in the moment.

The Developmental Model of couples therapy was developed in California, USA by Dr. Ellyn Bader and Dr. Peter Pearson, both of whom are also trained in Transactional Analysis. This model incorporates the latest findings in neuroscience, attachment theory and differentiation theory.

Psychotherapy

The goal of psychotherapy is to create meaning.

I consider each encounter with a client to be unique and that psychotherapy involves a collaborative effort and a working relationship of mutual influence.

"People begin to heal the moment they feel heard."

Cheryl Richardson

Taking the first step in asking for help is an act of courage and involves risk. I am interested and curious to meet you with respect, sensitivity and to discover who you are. My role in the therapeutic process is to help you look at and understand how you think, feel and how this influences your behavior and your relationship with yourself and the world. We will work on your current relationships and experiences while acknowledging the influence of past experiences.

Psychotherapeutic work involves a commitment from several parties: to the work, to the other (the relationship) and to yourself. One of the important aspects is the commitment and development of the capacity to question oneself and sometimes even the therapeutic relationship or the therapeutic process.

Personally, I am committed to learn and continuously develop myself as individual in relation with the world, to use supervision, inter-vision and training for professional development and support in my work with clients.

For couples

In my office I offer psychotherapeutic support for couples.

“Sometimes when we are laying together I look at her and I feel dizzy with the realization that here is another distinct person from me, who has memories, origins, thoughts and feelings that are different from my own. That tension familiarity and mystery meshes something strong between us. Even if one builds a life together based on trust, relationship attentiveness and mutual support, I think that is important that a partner continues to surprise.”

Barack Obama 1996

The couple relationship evolves through normal and predictable stages of development. Problems most often arise when partners get stuck in one of the stages and do not have the necessary skills to move through them. This is where I can step in to help as a psychotherapist.

Individual development has a significant influence on an individual's ability to support the healthy development of the couple. At the same time, the development of the couple will also determine the individual growth of each partner.

Couple relationships involve difficult but exciting work and it is advisable to seek help before it is too late to save the relationship.

The necessity for couples therapy

Couples are often uncertain what to expect from the process of couples therapy or they don't know if the therapist has any expectations from them. The main reasons why couples ask for therapy are related either with the need for change ( to connect, to develop), to end the relationship ( getting the help to say goodbye, help with parenting etc) either the need to make a decision (to stay together or separate, have a child or not etc).

Very often, partners come in after experiencing a lack of contact and intimacy, disappointment, distance, an unsatisfying sex life, or perhaps anger expressed in a passive-aggressive way, or they are consumed by fights and a level of disconnection.

Some of the ineffective things we do in relationship are blaming or attempting to dominate, withdrawing and looking for satisfying our needs outside the relationship, being in a resentful compliance, whining, being stuck in denial or confusion. Although ineffective, these are all ways in which we try to protect ourselves. Underneath, there are feelings of fear, pain, helplessness, hopelessness, feelings of insecurity or inadequacy that activate our emotional brain (limbic system). The reactivity of our emotional brain manifests by finger point, shutting down, yelling, screaming a painful experiences that reinforce dysfunctional dynamics and which can trigger past trauma.

I believe my principal role is to help you become aware and understand how you are contributing to your couple dynamic and find different and meaningful ways of responding to your partner, without violating your core values.

I think your main role is to create you own personal objective for being in therapy and be willing to reflect, question, challenge your beliefs and experiment with new possibilities.

Some objectives for couples therapy

The major aim of couples therapy is increasing your knowledge about yourself, your partner and the patterns of interaction between you.

Some goals for couples therapy could be:

Create a vision for how you aspire to be in the relationship, instead of trying to change your partner

Understand your blocks in personal growth

Collaborate in solving things as a team and learn to have and resolve conflicts

Discover what new capacities and abilities you need to develop in order to be able to sustain the kind on interaction or contact that you desire

Learn new patterns of interaction and practice them with awareness

Supervision

I am a PTSTA (Provisional Trainer and Supervisor in Transactional Analysis) which means that I am endorsed by the European Association of Transactional Analysis to formally supervise and train trainees in Transactional Analysis psychotherapy.

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