Simona Ștefan, Ph.D.

Simona Ștefan, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Babeș-Bolyai University, and a member of the International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health. She is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, and psychological counselor.  Simona got her Ph.D. in 2012 at the Evidence-Based Assessment and Psychological Interventions Doctoral School at Babeș-Bolyai University (coordinator Professor Daniel David, Ph.D.). In 2018, Simona was a Fulbright scholar, conducting her research fellowship at Boston University, working with Professor Stefan Hofmann, Ph.D. Her research interests encompass anxiety disorders, investigating the efficiency of psychological interventions and their mechanisms of change, clinical cognitive sciences, and interpersonal relations.

Diana Nechita, Ph.D.

Diana Nechita, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, from Babes-Bolyai Cluj-Napoca University. She is a clinical psychologist and a cognitive-behavioral therapist certified by the Romanian Board of Psychologists and the Albert Ellis Institute of New York. Diana is also a supervisor in cognitive-behavioral psychotherapies.

Her research interests are evidence-based psychological interventions and self-conscious emotions and their relationship with psychopathology (mood and anxiety disorders, eating disorders), focusing on their regulation.

Ruben Nechifor, Ph.D.

Dr. Ruben Emanuel Nechifor, Ph.D., is currently a Scientific Researcher at the International Institute for Advanced Studies in Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health of Babeș-Bolyai University, after working as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the (Radiological Sciences Department) of the Department of Radiological Sciences at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in the USA (https://ucla.academia.edu/RubenEmanuelNechifor) and as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the MRI Research Centre at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) in Canada (https://mri.ext.unb.ca/Personnel/photo_archive.php).
He obtained the title of PhD in Materials Engineering in 2011 at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, studying by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance new polymeric nanocapsules used in drug delivery (https://utclujnmr.weebly.com/group-members.html), part of these doctoral studies being carried out at the Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany (https://www.tu-ilmenau.de/techphys2/mitarbeiter/).
He graduated from the Master’s degree in Complex Molecular Systems at the Faculty of Physics of Babeș-Bolyai University (Erasmus scholarship at Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France) after graduating from the Bachelor’s degree in Medical Physics also at the Faculty of Physics of Babeș-Bolyai University.

Liviu Fodor, Ph.D.

Liviu-Andrei Fodor, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy and a member of the International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health, both at Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s degree in “Clinical Psychology, Psychological Counselling and Psychotherapy”, and a PhD in Psychology from the “Psychodiagnosis and Scientifically Validated Psychological Interventions” Doctoral School, at Babeș-Bolyai University. His research interests include meta-research procedures, network approaches to mental disorders, and advanced research methods for evaluating the efficacy/effectiveness of technologically augmented psychological interventions (e.g. virtual reality, online/offline PC and mobile platforms) in the treatment of mental disorders.

Cosmin Popa, Ph.D.

Cosmin Popa, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in Psychiatry and a certified cognitive-behavioral therapist by the Beck Institute of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, Philadelphia. He earned his Ph.D. in 2013 at the University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology in Târgu-Mureș, with research focusing on cognitive-behavioral interventions for generalized anxiety disorder and comorbid obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, with a special focus on perfectionism. His clinical expertise includes treating anxiety, depression, personality disorders, and psychotic disorders. His research investigates the efficacy of CBT for anxiety, depression, and personality disorders.

Petronela Predatu, Ph.D.

Petronela Predatu holds a Ph.D. in Psychology. She obteined her bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2015 and completed her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, Psychological Counseling, and Psychotherapy in 2017, both at Babeș-Bolyai University. Her research interests focus on the role of response expectancies in generating positive emotions, as well as the role of expectancies on the effectiveness of positive psychological interventions and psychotherapy. Additionally, Petronela is a certificated specialist in clinical psychology and an autonomous cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, accredited by the Romanian Board of Psychologists.

Douglas Mennin, Ph.D.

Douglas Mennin, Ph.D., is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at Columbia University. His research centers on anxiety and mood disorders, with a particular focus on worry, stress, and depression. He emphasizes the importance of effectively processing emotional situations and managing moods adaptively. Dr. Mennin developed Emotion Regulation Therapy (ERT), an integrative, mind-body psychotherapy informed by contemporary affect science and neuroscience, which has demonstrated positive outcomes in treating chronic anxiety and mood disorders. His work has identified key cognitive, physiological, and neural mechanisms that contribute to the therapy’s effectiveness. He also collaborates on adapting ERT for caregivers of cancer patients, aiming to reduce distress and improve well-being. Additionally, Dr. Mennin has conducted numerous clinical trials and basic research studies to further understand the mechanisms underlying emotional dysregulation in anxiety and depression.

Robert Leahy, Ph.D.

Robert L. Leahy, PhD, is Director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy in New York City and Clinical Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Leahy is Associate Editor of the International Journal of Cognitive Therapy and is past president of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy, and the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (A-CBT). He is a recipient of the Outstanding Clinician Award from ABCT and the Aaron T. Beck Award from A-CBT. Dr. Leahy is author or editor of 29 books for mental health professionals and the general public, including If Only and The Worry Cure. His books have been translated into 21 languages.

Antonio Maffei, Ph.D.

Antonio Maffei, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization at the University of Padova. He earned his Master’s in Neuroscience and Neuropsychological Rehabilitation in 2014 and his Ph.D. in Psychological Sciences in 2019. Dr. Maffei has held postdoctoral positions at the Padova Neuroscience Center and has been a visiting researcher at the University of Würzburg and Babeș-Bolyai University. His research focuses on the psychobiological correlates of emotional behavior in healthy and subclinical populations, using electrophysiological techniques such as EEG, MEG, ECG, EMG, and GSR. He is also interested in developing ecological methods for experimental emotional induction.

Denisa – Maria Moldovan

Denisa-Maria Moldovan is a Ph.D. student at the Evidence-Based Psychological Assessment and Interventions Doctoral School, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca. She is also a graduate of the Master’s program in ‘Clinical Psychology, Psychological Counseling, and Psychotherapy’ (2024) and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (2022), both from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca. Her research interests focus on exploring the mechanisms involved in the progression of symptoms in depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder, as well as investigating the role of parental styles in families dealing with psychological issues and emotional regulation difficulties. The aim is to identify key factors and interventions that can improve mental health outcomes for individuals and families. Additionally, Denisa is a clinical psychologist under supervision and obtained her professional practice license in 2023.

Maria – Dacina Neciu

Maria-Dacina Neciu is a Ph.D. student at the Evidence-Based Psychological Assessment and Interventions Doctoral School, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca. She is also a graduate of the Master’s program in ‘Psychological Techniques for Controlling Behavior and Human Potential Development’ (2024) and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (2022), both from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca. Her research interests include investigating the implications and efficacy of integrating artificial intelligence into psychological interventions, as well as the role of Emotion Regulation Therapy in maintaining mental health. Currently, Dacina is a clinical psychologist under supervision, certified by the Romanian College of Psychologists, and is training as a psychotherapist in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies. She is also certified as an educator and primary school teacher.

Diana-Klaudia Balla

Diana-Klaudia Balla is a master’s student in the ‘Psychological Techniques for Controlling Human Behavior and Human Potential Development’ program, as of October 2023, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Primary and Preschool Education Pedagogy (2023), both from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca. Her research interests include investigating the efficacy of technology-based psychological interventions for alleviating symptoms across various psychological disorders, as well as the role of emotion regulation in maintaining mental health.

Diana-Gabriela Corlățan

Diana-Gabriela Corlățan is a master’s student in the ‘Clinical Psychology, Psychological Counseling, and Psychotherapy’ program, as of October 2023, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (2023), both from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca. Her research interests include investigating and utilizing technology-based psychological interventions for the prevention and reduction of symptoms associated with eating disorders, as well as the role of emotion regulation in maintaining a positive body image and overall mental health. Currently, Diana is training as a psychotherapist in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies and is also pursuing psychopedagogical training courses.