Cristina Ciobanu

I help individuals navigate infidelity, betrayal, attachment wounds, and the relational patterns that keep showing up across relationships. Whether you're processing a recent betrayal, untangling a trauma bond, or noticing old wounds resurface with a new partner, we work to understand the pattern underneath, not just the latest incident. Drawing on attachment-focused work and principles from Gottman and EFT, I help you build clearer boundaries and steadier trust in yourself and others.

I work with adults whose nervous systems are still on high alert after betrayal, infidelity, or relational trauma. Intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, and emotional flooding are real trauma responses, not overreactions. We start by calming your nervous system so you aren't stuck in fight-or-flight, then process what happened so you can trust your own perception again. My approach blends nervous-system-informed work with insight-oriented exploration, at a pace that never outruns your safety.

I work with adults whose anxiety shows up as racing thoughts, overthinking, or a constant need to anticipate what could go wrong, often rooted in betrayal, relationship instability, or perfectionism. Rather than just managing symptoms, we look at what your anxiety is trying to protect you from, then build practical tools using CBT and DBT alongside deeper insight-oriented work. The goal is for you to feel calmer in your body and clearer in your mind, not just less anxious on the surface.

I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you notice the thought patterns that keep you stuck, especially the self-doubt and overthinking that often follow betrayal or relational pain. We identify where your mind jumps to the worst conclusion or holds onto blame that isn't yours to carry, then build more accurate, grounded ways of thinking. This isn't about forcing positivity. It's about giving you tools to interrupt the spiral and respond to your life from clarity instead of fear.

I draw on Dialectical Behavior Therapy to help you ride the wave of intense emotion without being swept away by it, especially during the rawest stages of betrayal, divorce, or relationship rupture. We work on tolerating distress without numbing or exploding, regulating a nervous system that feels constantly on edge, and holding two true things at once, like loving someone and feeling deeply hurt by them. The goal is steadiness: feeling your emotions fully without them running the show.

I incorporate EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to help reprocess moments that still feel emotionally stuck, like the instant of discovery after betrayal, or memories that resurface as intrusive thoughts. I am completing EMDR certification (expected mid-2026) and am trained to facilitate phases one through four. EMDR can help reduce the emotional charge of a memory so it becomes something you remember, rather than something that still feels like it's happening to you.