Growing in Christ
Team For Our Soul (TFOS) Program
for the Passionate Christian Givers & Servant Leaders
with Dr. Ioana Popa
Regeneration, Growth & Soul Care
The unique programs for Christian Givers and Servant Leaders to support your holistic regeneration (body, mind, heart and soul) and psychological and spiritual growth toward union with God (Theosis), so that you can 'live in the world but not of the world' and continue to serve others in Christ with joy, energy, patience and peace of mind, no matter how busy you are and without the fear of burning out.
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Continue to serve others in Christ with joy, energy and peace of mind
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Regenerate body, mind, heart & soul
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Continue to grow psychologically and spiritually
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Move toward union with God - every day and every moment
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No matter how busy you are
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And without the fear of burning out
Now, I’m seeing myself apply Ioana’s teachings, feel being in the presence of the Holy Spirit, find serendipitous moments through connecting and being open to different things.
- Natalie
If you are reading this, most likely you've experienced many fluctuating seasons in your life as a high-level Professional Christian Giver and a follower of Christ, and this Life Coaching & Spiritual Care Program is uniquely designed to support and address the specific challenges on this journey!
And why does this program exist? As I spent decades of professional and personal growth and recovered from 2 burnouts, I realized we are lacking programs that can guide Professional Christians step-by-step on how to regenerate & grow psychologically and spiritually for the glory of God, so that we can KEEP ON GIVING TO OTHERS IN CHRIST and fulfill our ministry (and without having to live in the desert or monasteries).
Therefore, since 2016 I have been specifically training in various psychological and spiritual care modalities, did tons of inner work & completed my Master in Theological Studies at Holy Cross School of Theology in order to create this program which is in existence now since 2021.
If you are interested in using the intersection of the best of science, psychology, spiritual care and ancient Christian Faith – in order to move toward union with God, every day and every moment, in the cradle of your Church Community and Ministry, then this program is for you!
Ultimately it is GOD who is regenerating us. And the ONE who moves through us to help others.
In the same time, we can CO-CREATE with God by ...
- developing a RENEWAL BLUEPRINT and regenerate daily
- continue to GROW psychologically and spiritually and prepare our Earthly Vessel (body, mind, heart)
- so that you can 'live in the world but not of the world'
- bring forth the FRUITS of the SPIRIT and continue to serve others in Christ with joy, energy, patience and peace of mind
- so that we stay connected with God every day and every moment.
“Acquire the Spirit of Peace and a thousand souls around you will be saved.”
St. Seraphim of Sarov
This course is a healing framework for internal perspective. I have clarified and then re-ordered my motivations to create a positive internal culture. I had no idea how much internal re-modeling I actually needed. Now, I’ve been enabled to operate freely with my source of grounding to order my time better and prioritize the important work of self-determination for rhythm and balance of life. The integrity of this model lovingly provides clarity of heart: I am gaining freedom from my negative attitudes which has strengthened my resolve to view myself and others with much more understanding and compassion.
Dr. Ioana’s framework encourages true objectivity and creativity that lights the way for the individual’s call to purpose with passion. And, the cherry-on-top, is Dr. Ioana’s genuine joy in her journey with you as a sacred soul companion. I will be grateful to her forever.
- ML. Scacciaferro
BS Psychology, with Professional Counseling Emphasis; Spiritual Formation
Groups Facilitator
Dr. Ioana Has Been Featured In:
OCAMPR
Orthodox Christian Association in Medicine, Psychology & Religion
Orthodoxy on Tap
Live with the Louhs Show
Ancient Faith Ministries
Filled with Less Show
Ancient Faith Ministries
Holistic Christian Life
Family Matters
Ancient Faith Ministries
Everyday Orthodox Show
Ancient Faith Ministries
Antiochian Diocese of Worcester & New England
Live with Fr. Tom Soroka
Ancient Faith Ministries
The breadth and depth of Ioana’s knowledge and life experience has enabled her to create something very unique and relevant to the situation many caregivers are facing today.
- Robin
IT Specialist, Spiritual Companion & Director
Here are the 6 COMMON DILEMMAS
that prevent many Christians from Regenerating Effectively
to serve with consistent Joy, Energy, Patience & Peace Of Mind
DILEMMA # 1
“I need to just ask and pray – and then wait. There is nothing else I need to do – it is all in God’s will and he answers all the prayers.”
Of course we want to rely on God and prayer at all times, and we know that God is hearing and listening to all our prayers. But we also need to cooperate and do our share. Otherwise, if that would be 100% true – then there would be no Christians stressed, burned out, sad, or lonely.
Prayer is very helpful in preventing burnout but we also need to have a Renewal Blueprint to take the necessary steps to regenerate body, mind, heart and soul so that we can allow more of God into our lives.
Inside of the Programs – you have many exercises that will guide you through, so that you can effectively prepare yourself and connect with God in prayer.
DILEMMA # 2
“I easily get distracted by my thoughts and emotions while I am praying, and at times I feel that maybe my faith in God is not as strong.”
You are not alone! Getting distracted is natural – and there are ways we can use psychological methodologies so that we can understand our core needs and “befriend” and “tame” our emotions, thoughts and body sensations.
In these programs, you will have plenty of opportunities to learn about your core needs at the heart (emotions) level, mind (thoughts) level and your body level, so that you can take care of your needs – without feeling that you have to indulge yourself.
As Christ said ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (Matthew 22:37-39). This way you can practice how to love yourself in a healthy way – that allows you to then love your neighbor even more!
In terms of measuring our faith, Christ said we only need faith like the mustard seed – so we should all take heart and not shame ourselves, but take small steps everyday to improve.
DILEMMA # 3
“I have to say YES to all requests and needs of others presented to me during the day, otherwise I am selfish.”
It is amazing to help others, but the reality is that we are finite human beings with limited time and resources, therefore we cannot really help all beings in this world. In the same time, if others do not discover their own resourcefulness, it can lead to co-dependency, instead of inter-dependency.
The reality is that by saying YES to something — we say NO to something else. For example – we might help more people at work, but then we have to cut short our time with our family at the end of the day.
Discerning when to say 'Yes' or 'No' is like a muscle – it needs practice. In these programs, you will have a chance to continue to grow, lean into God and discern your priorities in Christ, so that you’ll know with more and more clarity when to say YES and when to say NO.
DILEMMA # 4
“I am so busy and cannot regenerate today, so I will wait for my weekend, vacation or a retreat to a monastery.”
It is natural to feel this way, but we don’t need to wait until the weekend, vacation or to visit monasteries. There is nothing wrong with taking time off, going to a nice vacation or retreat to a monastery, but when we only do that in order to regenerate, we send a message inside of us that regeneration happens only in certain situations outside of our control, and we lose precious time in between.
God is available to us and is lovingly waiting for us every second! We can actually access regeneration every moment of our lives, because true regeneration happens in the intimate relationship between God and us in our inner core.
In these programs, you will practice how to lean into your core awareness and inner silence, so that you can regenerate every moment as you go about your day. You will also have the chance to discover unexpected moments of regeneration.
DILEMMA # 5
“I have to finish all my work first before I can relax and renew.”
Yes, once our work is completed, it is nice to relax and renew. Simultaneously, if we are busy leading, supporting and caring for others, that time to regenerate might not come fast enough or at all.
There is a way to regenerate and feel refreshed while we do our work as well. By the way, monks and nuns connect with God all the time, and they do not take vacations and during the weekend they are even more busy.
As mentioned, it is God who is truly the one regenerating us – and we regenerate in the NOW, which is the only moment we have, we allow God to work more fully in us and through us. In Christian faith we believe that the Kingdom of Heaven is NOW, not tomorrow, as 'tomorrow' never comes (it is only experienced as a 'now' moment).
Psychology describes this process of feeling renewed while active as ‘Flow’, and we too have access to it with practice. In these programs you will practice being in Flow and connecting with the sacred throughout the day!
DILEMMA # 6
“I am so busy caring for others – I cannot even take time to do a program for myself, although I know I need it!”
I totally understand that! I have had seasons in my life that just the thought of taking a program was making me tired. In the same time, without taking the necessary steps, it is easy to burn out.
It is with this in mind that I created this program – which allows you to work through the lessons in a gentle way, with ample time for implementation and practice, as you go about your day, without disruptions!
And because I bring decades of experience in mental health, psychology, science, life coaching, spiritual care, contemplative practice and faith practices – I distilled all this for you in these programs! And thus you can experience Regeneration not like another 'Project', but as a way of life.
This way you do not need to spend hours and hours in order to build your Renewal Blueprint. It is all condensed and distilled at your fingertips!
I'm so thankful you said yes to me last year! I don’t know where I will be without the support of our group & you.
God sends us warriors to help us in our battle. Your ministry & love has helped me grow my faith. It has prepared me to battle to save my family. Thank you for all you do the world.
Sending prayers of strength for you to continue your amazing work.
- TFOS Community Member
“Transformed people TRANSFORM people"
Richard Rohr
In this busy fast-paced world and with many dilemmas as Christians
we need a RENEWAL BLUEPRINT first, and here is WHY ...
An effective Renewal Blueprint can give you the...
- MAP – to navigate your emotions, thoughts, body sensations, so that you can understand your needs without having to suppress them nor indulge them. This way you can pray and connect with God at all time
- FRAMEWORK – to navigate the busy online world – with so many Self-care advices, that they do not all make sense from a Christian perspective
- CONFIDENCE – that you take care of your ‘earthly vessel’, entrusted to you by God: your body, your emotions (heart) and your thoughts (mind) so that you can live from your soul and in union with God at all times, and move from the ‘image’ of God into Its ‘likeness’
- DAILY RITUALS – that you can fall back on, no matter the season you are in. The best Renewal Blueprint is created in an‘accordion’ style, and can allow you to adapt and regenerate, no matter how busy or relaxed your season is, and without missing important ‘ingredients’ in your regeneration
- FLEXIBILITY – so that in a busy season, even with limited time, you know what to focus on, in order to take care of your body, mind (thoughts), heart (emotions) and soul (true self, spirit), without accumulating unnecessary stress
- GUIDANCE – to navigate times of introspection and silent prayers, like Jesus Prayer. In our fast-paced and noisy world, gone are the days when we could get spontaneous times of silence. And, it is not uncommon that many people are not sure what to do in silence (especially as there is so much focus on ‘meditation’ coming from other religions)
- Nonetheless contemplation and silence have always been part of the Christian Tradition. In silence it is natural to experience thoughts, emotions, images or body sensations and a helpful Renewal Blueprint can guide you to include silence and contemplation in your daily rituals, while navigating your inner world
- TIME BACK – a Renewal Blueprint helps you to not spend hours and hours in researching and figuring out what is needed for your regeneration. With an effective Renewal Blueprint, you have the patterns all condensed and distilled at your fingertips!
- DISCERNMENT – to brainstorm and grow in what is regenerative for you and what is not. We are created in God in wonderful ways – and although alike, we are different in many ways. Not all regenerating practices work for all of us, so having the discernment how to choose is essential. The Renewal Blueprint gives you the space to grow this skill.
Dr. Ioana’s program and ‘nuggets’ of psychological, scientific and ancient Christian information are very helpful to me. Her ability to express clearly scientific knowledge while integrating psychology and ancient Christian spirituality is helping me to see myself more clearly! Dr. Ioana has given me hope, and helped me to feel better about myself...that change is possible for me!
Also, the sessions we did together as a group have really helped me - as she says, there is something powerful that happens between people ‘healing’ in a group environment.
At the time (in the group) I felt good, and now, a few days after, the feelings of lightness in my soul is pretty special. Thank you Dr. Ioana, very much, for who you are and what you do!
- Anna
Qld, Australia
Since I burned out twice and, through my decades of professional experience (medicine, psychology, spiritual care, education, life coaching), I built an effective RENEWAL BLUEPRINT, part of The Renewal In Action™ CORE training in these ongoing programs.
This Renewal Blueprint is one of the many offerings in this program and has helped me, my students and clients to regenerate on-the-go and enjoy serving Christ with much joy and energy!
People now ask me all the time - "You look so busy! How do you have so much energy and creativity? How can you do that?"
And my answer is "I am not busy - I am just enjoying serving God and regenerating on-the-go, as I follow this Renewal Blueprint - and it works!"
(And I cannot even get full credit - as I believe it is God that inspires and moved us)
And now, you too can do that!
We all heard, when boarding a flight, the advice: “In the unlikely event of decompression, apply the oxygen mask first on your face, and then on those you tend to”. Yet, have we, Caretakers who face “decompression” with likely regularity, internalized this guidance? Likely not, by the Burnout epidemic that we witness and experience.
Dr. Ioana Popa’s “The Renewal in Action” Course fills this gap, with wise and loving guidance that instructs, empowers, and heals. It offers pillars to support all our dimensions –Body, Mind, Heart, and Soul—as Humans and Caretakers, so we can renew ourselves, and then return, forged and restored, to caring for others.
- Dr. Cristian
Intensivist & Pulmonologist Physician
About Dr. Ioana
Dr. Ioana is a trained physician-psychiatrist, spiritual care provider, educator and life coach, who completed her MTS degree at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, where she has both taught and is providing psychological care through the Office of Spiritual Formation and Counseling for many years.
She is also a cofounder of the Witness to Christ - A Spiritual Journey Program in the Antiochian Diocese of Worcester and New England.
Dr. Ioana is a certified as a Life Coach (BCC), Internal Family Systems Practitioner, Psychosynthesis Life Coach, and Elite Coach. She is an Advanced Grief Recovery® Specialist, has completed 2 Units of Clinical Pastoral Education, and she is the Medical Chair of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine Psychology and Religion (OCAMPR) Board.
Together with her husband Sebastien Falardeau, an interfaith chaplain and life coach, co-founded Team For The Soul®, Coaching, Consulting & Spiritual Care, sharing the vision of helping people along their journey.
At Team For The Soul® they help compassionate professionals and caregivers to regenerate daily, prevent burnout, complete grief & transform toward higher potential through our online interdisciplinary programs, workshops, online groups, 1-on-1 life coaching & spiritual care and membership programs for Christians.
Dr. Ioana attends St. Mary Christian Orthodox Church in Cambridge, MA. She loves to spend time with family, read, do gardening and practice contemplation.
I am grateful that Ioana’s vision has come to fruition as it is the most wonderful gift I have ever received!
- Andrea
A transformative event that any caregiver should consider, whether active in the Healing arts, Leadership work, or any other Public service.
- Dr. Cristian
The Team For Our Soul (TFOS) Growing In Christ Programs are designed to support you in your spiritual and psychological journey to follow Christ in such a way that ...
"Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things".
Philippians 4:8 NKJV
Ioana’s ongoing, expert guidance and the support from an evolving group of like-minded givers have helped me to focus on self-care and renewal at the Body, Mind, Heart, and Soul Levels.
I have willingly stretched myself, answered difficult questions, and participated in sometimes intense reflective exercises, all leading to growth and a deeper connection to God and my true purpose in life!
- Andrea
Educator
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
Matthew 22:37-39
Here Are The Details About ..
Growing in Christ
TEAM FOR OUR SOUL (TFOS) Programs
GROW TOWARD PRESENCE, WHOLENESS & JOY IN CHRIST
PILLARS:
- GROWING in the Image & Likeness of God
- DEEPENING Roles & Identity in Christ
- MASTERING of the Will
- MASTERING of Time & Rhythm
- BALANCING Body, Mind, Heart & Soul
- GROWING in Service & Community
When you enroll in TFOS Programs you access:
1. The Renewal in Action™ CORE program - for the first 6 months
This is my signature CORE online program:
- It is a holistic program with 6 Modules, delivered slowly over ~ 6 months, to avoid overwhelm, so that you can regenerate and connect with God on-the-go, moment by moment
- It helps you connect with God and build from inside-out your daily RENEWAL BLUEPRINT, integrating your body, mind, heart (emotions) and infusing it with your soul – the image of God
- It will help you build your daily rituals 'accordion style' – at your own pace, so that you can update your rituals on-the-go, no matter how busy you are
- This way, you can feel at peace, renewed and grounded in God, like “the eye of the storm” while serving others in Christ.
Here is what you have access in the first 6 months of the programs:
TRIA MODULE 1 - first 2 weeks
'Foundations for Renewal'
- Get clarity about your Caring Dilemmas
- Understand the renewal steps and your levels of regeneration
- Get perspective on the different levels of your needs and the connection with renewal
- Get clarity about your Big Why - for living and giving
- Understand 'different types’ of time
- Develop a clear 'Renewal Motivational Anchor' to ground your efforts and keep you on your regeneration path.
TRIA MODULE 2 - after 2 weeks, for 1 month
'Prepare for Giving'
- Get clarity for the need for holistic integration at mind, body, heart, soul level, in order to prepare for the day
- Get clarity on the types of awarenesses and how they might assist your renewal
- Identify and start befriending your main inner block(s) to regeneration
- Use the contemplative practice to support you in the morning to connect to your soul and be equipped to start refreshed for your day of giving.
TRIA MODULE 3 - the following month
'Staying in Flow'
- Get clarity of the need to stay in Flow while in action and the ‘ingredients’ and ‘timeline’ to help achieve it
- Get clarity about the different renewal myths and helpful mindsets
- Learn Self and Co-regulating Practices to stay grounded and in flow in the midst of action
- Use contemplative practices to support you stay in your renewal flow during the day
- Develop a clear 'Staying-In-Flow' Midday Ritual Blueprint to support you on busy or relaxed days.
TRIA MODULE 4 - the following month
'Separate & Release'
- Get clarity of what might help you at the end of the day to separate from activities and other people, so that you can let go of what is not yours
- Learn how to do 'check-ins' to help you build boundaries as you close the day
- Learn about the way emotions operate and find ways to befriend them, so you can stay grounded in the present moment
- Use contemplative practices to support you find ways to separate and release after a full day of giving
- Develop a clear 'Separate & Release' Afternoon Ritual Blueprint to support you on busy or relaxed days.
TRIA MODULE 5 - the following month
'Regenerate & Renew'
- Discover your areas of balance & imbalance in your life that might impact your regeneration
- Strengthen and (re)discover practices to support you in accessing your Soul (True Self) and tap into your regenerating qualities from God, through awareness and choice
- Get clarity and develop practices to help you with thoughts-emotions unhelpful loops
- Develop a process to (re)discover, choose, simplify, implement and refine your routine of coming back to your inner home
- Use contemplative practices to support you restore your energies at the end of your day
- Develop a clear 'Regenerate & Renew' Evening Ritual Blueprint to support you on busy or relaxed days.
TRIA MODULE 6 - the following month
'Integrate & Refine'
- Find simple ways to experiment, keep track and fine-tune your renewal blueprint on an ongoing basis, so that it stays relevant in your life
- Experiment with applying this Renewal Blueprint not only once a day, but possibly multiple times throughout your day
- Discover your process on how to carry out your Monthly Renewal revisions
- Develop your process to (re)discover, choose, solidify and integrate the foundations of your Daily Renewal In Action Blueprint.
2. New Online Courses, one course per month, right after the TRIA CORE Program
After the first 6 months of the program you have access to:
- a new course every month to continue to help you on your journey of psychological and spiritual growth. Yes, that is right - new course every month!
- This way you can continue your journey of growth in Christ toward whatever is 'true, and noble, just, pure', toward Union with God
- the courses bring my best condensed information and steps for you to take, without the overwhelm factor.
Here is a list of upcoming Monthly New Courses, after the 6 months of the TRIA Core Program ...
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Designing our Environment to Support our Rituals
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Deepening our Experience of Our Soul
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Understanding Our Emotions toward Balance in Christ
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Understanding Our Thoughts toward Balance in Christ
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Training of the Will
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Jesus Prayer and Dual Processing mind
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Creativity: Co-creation with God
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Dealing with Pain in a Godly way
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Understanding and Befriending our 'Perfectionism'
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Understanding and Befriending our 'Self-sacrificing' Part
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Understanding and Befriending our 'Fixing' Part
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Understanding and Befriending our Anger
3. Contemplative Practices and Jesus Prayer Practices - a Growing Online Library
Like many Christians, I love the simple practice of Jesus Prayer. If you are not familiar with it, it is a grounding Christian practice to help us stay in the present moment and in silence, focusing on the simple words and reality “Oh Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me”.
It is linked to our breath, and in time it can become such a ritual and habit that we can rely on it without even having to think about it! Psychology calls this ‘Dual Processing Mind’.
I started developing a growing bank of recorded practices, based on the tradition of the Jesus Prayer and incorporating helpful preparatory steps to allow our mind, emotions and body sensations to relax, so that we can then rest and regenerate in Christ.
4. Recorded Prayers - a Growing Online Library
I love audio recordings of prayers. Many times I am in action and might not be able to sit down and read or say all my prayers.
Memorizing prayers is very helpful, and I observed for myself and others that, having access to recording of various prayers or Scripture passages – can help us stay grounded in Christ, while we go about our day. And it helps with memorization as well!
With that in mind, I started developing a bank of recorded prayers, which I plan to expand along our journey.
And additionally, you could ALSO have access to:
5. Live and Recorded Monthly Group Life Coaching & Spiritual Care Sessions
We meet regularly for powerful Group Life Coaching Sessions, where I bring guided exercises and we interact both in small groups and large groups. You will receive direct support from me in your psychological and spiritual growth.
Sessions are recorded so that you can re-listen to them.
6. Community Engagement & Support
Christ valued and nurtured communities, on multiple levels. At Team For Our Soul (TFOS) ~ Shared Journey we create together:
- a nurturing and safe regenerating space
- for you to get all the support you need
- so that you in turn, can nurture and serve your community in Christ with energy, patience and joy.
We meet and interact during our Live Zoom Meetings and we also have a CHAT ability.
7. Recorded Short Practice Exercises - a Growing Online Library
The more I grow and develop professionally and personally, the more I discover various practices and methodologies across disciplines which helped me, my clients and students.
I integrate all - in short, concised recorded practice exercises, through the lens of Christ and toward union with God. There is already a bank of exercises, which I will continue to update.
As I create these Practice Exercises, you will have access to them on an ongoing basis, to use them whenever needed anytime and anywhere!
8. BONUS - FREE Access to Boot Camps & Master Classes - Live & Recorded
With 30 years in psychology, mental health and education, creating courses is my gift of service! I plan to continue to develop Boot-camps and Master classes, so that I can support you on your journey.
As part of the Team For The Soul (TFOS) Program, you will have access for FREE to them.
Growing In Christ - Team For Our Soul (TFOS) Program Options
for the Passionate Christian Givers & Servant Leaders
Independent Journey
$50/mo
Total Value over $500/month
Shared Journey
$200/mo
Total Value over $1200/month
Are you a Christian Organization looking for group pricing?
Dr. Ioana's Qualifications
- Master in Theological Studies - Holy Cross School of Theology
- Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care (2 CPE Units — Clinical Pastoral Care)
- Trained as a Physician - Psychiatrist
- National Board Certified Life Coach (BCC)
- Certified Internal Family Systems IFS Practitioner
- Certified Psychosynthesis Life Coach
- Certified Elite Coach Advanced
- Grief Recovery® Specialist
- Trained in Intimacy From Inside Out couples work
"Transformed people
TRANSFORM PEOPLE"
-Richard Rohr
All information provided on this website is strictly for educational purposes and does not form a physician-patient or coach/consultant-client relationship. No relationship is formed between you and the Company or any of our owners or employees without a written agreement. All information is provided as is and is used at your own risk. Please speak to your medical provider before about any information you read on this website.