One e-mail exchange, for a fee of 40 eur/exchange.
For e-mails, choose any time from the schedule; you are free to send me your e-mail anytime in the following week and I will reply with a delay of maximum 2 days.
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Important! Schedule hours correspond to the UTC+1 Central European Time Zone.
But don't worry, if you accidentally book an appointment at the wrong hour, we can change it one time at no additional costs.
Check the schedule for available hours, pick a time and proceed to payment online. Schedule hours correspond to the UTC+1 Central European Time Zone! Make sure to provide the accurate contact information (e-mail/phone). Once the booking is confirmed, you will receive an e-mail from me. Alternatively, we can schedule a short online meeting for free, in order to get to know each other, before any booking; for that, send me an e-mail at info@gratefulmood.com
Step 2
Setup
Make sure to have Skype/Vcall/Signal/E-mail (according to your preference) installed on your device and connect at least 10 minutes before the scheduled meeting. Check my article below about how to choose the best communication platform, that protects your data and privacy!
Step 3
First meeting
Our first meeting will be slightly different than the following ones; the intial contact with a therapist might provoke anxiety or anticipation distress, so in the first part of the meeting, we will focus on the boundaries and style of our collaboration. The sooner we overcome the initial communication obstacles, the more you will notice the benefits of the therapy. We will also discuss about consent, privacy and data protection. Further, I will ask you a set of questions, in order to establish the approach that is suited for you.
In the second part of the meeting we'll focus on your current concerns.
Step 4
Followup
If we decide to go on with the therapy, we will start a deeper exploration of your feelings, thoughts and behaviors, in order to get a more profound understanding of how your mind operates and to improve your current situation. This can involve different types of exercises, practical talks, homeworks, simulations, etc. The recommended followup is one meeting/week, during minimum 12 weeks. If you decide to sign up for a 12 weeks followup, you will get a 1 session for free.
I am a Medical Doctor, specializing in Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, currently practicing in Vaud, Switzerland, in the public sector. I hold a Medical Diploma delivered by the University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu" Cluj-Napoca. I started being interested in mental health and psychiatry from my early years as a medical student, attending psychiatry, psychology and self-help meetups and organising the monthly Psychiatry scientific communication meetup, for one year, in my university.
I studied in France and Romania and I'm currently based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
My experience in Psychiatry (Clinical University Hospital of Vaud, Switzerland, EPSM Roche-sur-Foron, France and Clinical University Hospital of Cluj-Napoca, Romania), under the guidance of university professors and assistants, offers me the ability to recognize mental health disorders, offer assistance and guidance and therapy followups.
My current focuses are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and DBT - Dialectical behavior therapy
Of course, we can schedule a first online meeting for free. Contact me at info@gratefulmood.com and we will set an appointment. Then, you can describe me your problem, I prepare a therapy approach for you and I explain to you the next steps of our collaboration.
Professional experience and studies:
2019-present - Intern in psychiatry, CHUV Lausanne, Ambulatory - North Psychiatric Sector, Switzerland;
2018-2019 - Intern in psychiatry, EPSM Roche-sur-Foron, France, followed by a short practice in Romania;
2016-2018 - Intern in psychiatry, CHU Cluj-Napoca, Emergency Psychiatric Hospital;
2016-2010 - University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of talking therapy that looks at the links between the thoughts, feelings and behaviors, aiming to improve mental health.
The past experiences influence the way we think and thoughts affect the feelings, which lead to specific behaviors. There is an ongoing interdependent relationship between these three elements, which can lead to vicious circles, or "bad programming", that further causes psychological problems. CBT helps breaking this vicious circle, by learning how to change one's relationship to maladaptive thinking and behave differently, which will further have an impact on the feelings. CBT helps develop personal non-destructive coping mechanisms, that target current problems.
CBT is a modern form of psychotherapy, that is "problem-solving" and "action-oriented", meaning that it solves specific problems, according to the patient's needs.
What are the main targeted disorders?
depression
anxiety
post traumatic stress disorder
substance abuse
smoking cessation
eating disorders
borderline personality disorder
psychological problems related to chronic somatic conditions
In combination with other therapies, it can be also useful in:
major depressive disorder
bipolar affective disorder
psychotic disorders
obsessive-compulsive disorder
What is the course of the therapy?
The recommended course of CBT is a minimum period of 12 weeks follow-up, including a 50 minute session/week, that covers: learning to identify thoughts, behaviors and feelings, facing vicious circles, producing cognitive-behavioral changes and including all the methods above into the daily practice. The completion of the therapy is essential for a lasting, complete result.
Step 1
Orientation of the patient to CBT and assessing concerns
Setting the initial goals
Step 2
Reconceptualisation
Learn & practice: Identifying thoughts, feelings and behaviors
practice and homework
Step 3
Skill acquisition
Acknowledging vicious cogs
practice and homework
Step 4
Skills consolidation and application training
Making changes in behavior
practice and homework
Step 5
Maintenance and generalization
Challenging thoughts and defusing from them
Practice and homework
Step 6
Post-treatment follow-up
Practice. Practice. Practice
How to access?
CBT can be accessed by different means:
Face-to-face psychotherapy
Computerized / online therapy (face-to-face call)
Smart phone instant delivered therapy (messaging)
Self-help
Group course
References
The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses
Stefan G. Hofmann, Ph.D., Anu Asnaani, M.A., Imke J.J. Vonk, M.A., Alice T. Sawyer, M.A., and Angela Fang, M.A.
Efficacy and effectiveness of online cognitive behavioral treatment: a decade of interapy research.
Ruwaard J1, Lange A, Schrieken B, Emmelkamp P.
The impact of internet-based cognitive behavior therapy on work ability in patients with depression – a randomized controlled study
Dominique Hange,1 Nashmil Ariai,1 Marie Kivi,2 Maria CM Eriksson,1 Shabnam Nejati,1 and Eva-Lisa Petersson1,3
Online CBT Is Effective in Overcoming Cultural and Language Barriers in Patients With Depression.
Alavi N1, Hirji A, Sutton C, Naeem F.
Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Patients With Chronic Somatic Conditions: A Meta-Analytic Review
Monitoring Editor: Gunther Eysenbach
Reviewed by Evan Mayo-Wilson and Martin Härter
Sylvia van Beugen, MSc,corresponding author12 Maaike Ferwerda, MSc,1,2 Dane Hoeve, MSc,2 Maroeska M Rovers, PhD,3 Saskia Spillekom-van Koulil, PhD,2 Henriët van Middendorp, PhD,1,2 and Andrea WM Evers, PhD1,2
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) - Suma P. Chand; Martin R. Huecker.
Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is the Current Gold Standard of Psychotherapy
Daniel David,1,2,* Ioana Cristea,1 and Stefan G. Hofmann3
Online psychotherapy is the provision of mental health services through the virtual environment, via Internet. It can be used either in addition to classical psyhchotherapy, or as a replacement for it.
This form of counseling was used since the 90s, but it started growing considerably in the last 10 years.
The extension of research in the field of online counseling, delivers promising results: technology could contribute to an evolution of how people receive mental health services, improving the addressability and access to help.
In what form can online psychotherapy be delivered?
video conferencing
online chat
messaging
e-mails
internet phone calls
What are the benefits?
A growing number of studies in this field (see references) established the efficacy of online counseling at least equal to traditional in-office approach, in certain situations. Here are some potential reasons:
Access
An extended category of people can be part of the online environment, such as: rural area population, disabled people, minors, expats. Generally, the internet extends the access to psychotherapy to those who do not find themselves in the proximity of a counseling office.
Cost
Online therapy is generally cheaper than face-to-face services and so, an extended number of people can profit from it.
Appointments
The time schedules for online services tend to be more flexible, and even extended to night-hours or emergency hotlines.
Privacy
In the online environment, patients can choose to stay private, an advantage that is simply unfeasible in traditional in-office setting.
Anxiety & distress
The online approach can offer more comfort to the patient and a decreased level of distress or anticipation anxiety, that are very common in the traditional form of therapy. Behind the screen, the patients simply open up faster, which leads to earlier achievement of collaboration and communication. This can be in the benefit of people who have communication difficulties, who tried face-to-face therapy, but failed to create openness, or simply to those who have a stronger component of shyness in the traits of their personality.
Are there any down-sides to consider?
Everything has advantages and disadvantages, so here are some of the down-sides of online counseling:
Technology
Unreliable means of communication or connexion can create interruptions in the flow of the session, leading to delayed responses or even communication loss or changes in the schedule.
Confidentiality
The technology nowadays can be attacked or hacked, which could expose the patient to loss of confidentiality. Make sure to choose the means of communications that are suited to your personal desires in terms of confidentiality and data security. Check my article on Choosing a communication platform.
Reliability
In the online environment is harder to control and check the psychotherapist's qualifications and reliability. Make sure to ask for proof of qualification (diplomas/certificates) and to check their validity, according to the laws.
Body language
Body language can be a great diagnostic/information tool for psychotherapists and counselors. It can provide the therapist with important additional information related to the patient's feelings or thoughts. Online environment considerably reduces the possibility of observing these elements.
Effectiveness
The main goal of online counseling is to alleviate distress and improve the patient's functionality and approach to challenging life situations. According to different patient-surveys, it was shown that the level of satisfaction and goal achievement was equal in online counseling, compared to traditional psychotherapy, especially for the people functioning at a moderate to high level. Ongoing research will determine whether, in the future, online help could provide benefits for suicidal ideation or psychotic episodes. For more articles related to online psychotherapy, see references.
References
[Online Counselling: The prospect of a therapeutic connection].
Giotakos O1, Papadomarkaki E1.
Mixing Online and Face-to-Face Therapy: How to Benefit From Blended Care in Mental Health Care
Monitoring Editor: Gunther Eysenbach
Reviewed by Olivier Blanson Henkemans and Derek Richards
Jobke Wentzel, PhD,1 Rosalie van der Vaart, PhD,2 Ernst T Bohlmeijer, PhD,1 and Julia E W C van Gemert-Pijnen, PhDcorresponding author1
The Preference for Internet-Based Psychological Interventions by Individuals Without Past or Current Use of Mental Health Treatment Delivered Online: A Survey Study With Mixed-Methods Analysis
Monitoring Editor: Gunther Eysenbach
Reviewed by Peter Giacobbi, Jr., Acacia Parks, and Emma Gliddon
Emma Emmett Karolina Wallin, MSc, Lic Psych,corresponding author1 Susanne Mattsson, RN,2 and Erik Martin Gustaf Olsson, PhD, Lic Psych2
The Effectiveness of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders
Monitoring Editor: Alexander Muacevic and John R Adler
Vikram Kumar,corresponding author1 Yasar Sattar,2 Anan Bseiso,3 Sara Khan,4 and Ian H Rutkofsky5
Ethical Issues in Providing Online Psychotherapeutic Interventions
Craig A Childresscorresponding author
Craig A Childress, Pepperdine University, 3741 Foxglen Ave, La Verne CA 91759, USA, Phone: +1 909 599 3764, Email: moc.loa@gnoskao.
When it comes to online communication, choosing the platform that is the most suited for you, can be a tricky thing to do. Here are some elements to take into consideration when choosing a communication provider:
Performance - different apps have different levels of technical performance, especially when it comes to video conferencing. Make sure to test the applications before, in order to get an idea about the differences in connection delay and clarity of sound or image.
Data protection - apps have different levels of data protection, raging from no protection at all, to end-to-end encryption, from proprietory to free and open source software.
Cost - paid or unpaid;
Features - some apps are all-in-one, providing video calls, voice calls and instant chat;
Devices - some applications only work on computers, some only on mobile devices.
Signal
Features: video calling, voice calling, messaging; Performance: medium in video calling, high in voice calling and messaging; Data protection: high; published as free and open-source software under the General Public License (GPLv3); the server code is published under the Affero General Public License (AGPLv3); the server is centralised; Cost: unpaid; Devices: computer, phone;
Skype
Features: video calling, voice calling, messaging; Performance: medium-high; Data protection: medium; proprietory protocol; the specifications have not been made publicly available by Skype and official applications using the protocol are closed-source; Signaling is encrypted using RC4. Voice data is encrypted with AES; Cost: unpaid; Devices: computer, phone;
Linphone
Features: video calling, voice calling, messaging; Performance: medium in video and voice calling, high in messaging; Data protection: very high; Linphone is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL); the server is decentralised; Cost: unpaid; Devices: computer, phone;
E-mail
Features: messaging; Performance: high; Data protection: depends; if encrypted using public/private keys, data protection is very high; if non-encrypted, data protectin is low; !!Ask for my public key, if you want to send me encrypted e-mails!! Cost: unpaid; Devices: computer, phone;
WhatsApp
Features: video calling, voice calling, messaging; Performance: medium; Data protection: very low; owned by Facebook; proprietary software; no agreement upon set of rights or license; Cost: unpaid; Devices: phone;
