Petrisor Tepurlui

I started by therapeutic journey more than 25 years ago, when I discovered the first book by Sigmund Freud. I was initially fascinated, then ever more conflicted, until I discovered Jung, whose theories helped numerous inner searches make sense.

The need for structure got me within reach of the lady of Romanian psychotherapy – Irina Holdevici – who was my mentor in my early days as a psychotherapist and trainer. The cognitive paradigm allowed me to comprehend the spark and evolution of many issues, whereas the constructivist one filled in the picture with the cognitive ABC missing elements. And yet, something was missing: I had given up seeking the deeper meaning of principles that seemed to be a part of myself and of many persons I was working with. I then found Jeffrey Young and learnt that he calls them early maladaptive cognitive schemes. As such, I began linking all the skills that appeared till that point to be distinct: cognitive conceptualization with imagery and hypnotic regression, staging and role play with the analysis of what is happening here and now between myself and the person in front of me, which may also have the greatest altering role.

Following a difficult practice over the period when psychotherapy was not regulated, and trainings in psychotherapy were rare in the country or poorly organized and documented, I began working more and more towards understanding human reality – by means of an gradually higher number of courses and trainings – which is how I realized that I first of all need to understand myself, as per the ancient dictum (Nosce te ipsum…). First my clients, followed by my wife and, not in the least, my two daughters who successively entered my life, made me more and more aware of Ghandi’s words (Be the change you wish to see in the world!), which I can paraphrase as follows: if I want to be able to help the others change I must be humble enough to seek that change within myself or to acknowledge my own incapacity, instead of the pride in having elicited it in others.

Therefore, I went back to in-depth therapies and the inner search I had begun more than two decades before.

I don’t think this is where my road ends, but I do seem to have a clearer picture of it.

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