I grew up as the straight-A kid - the son of Romanian immigrants, deeply driven, high-achieving, and quietly convinced that being loved meant being perfect. My self-worth depended on performance. I was harsh with
myself, and nothing ever felt good enough.
Discipline became my comfort zone. I trained in Taekwondo, earned a black belt, yet learned something unexpected: During breaking tests, if I visualized the board shattering, I succeeded. If I feared pain, I held back and failed. This was my first lesson in the power of our mind.
This fascination took on new depth in Moldova. While volunteering at a local
orphanage, I was struck not just by the children’s stories, but by the trust they placed in me. It was there that I witnessed how healing it can be when someone feels truly seen - and how vital it is to create spaces where
struggles are not hidden but heard. That experience deepened my understanding: real change begins with connection, not perfection. And holding space can be just as powerful as solving a problem.
I went on to study clinical psychology and neuroscience in the Netherlands, co-founded a startup in an incubator, and began coaching professionals through a social-impact platform. Later, in a clinic for personality disorders, I
came face-to-face with emotional suppression - including my own. I realized how little we are taught about our inner world until crisis hits.
That realization led me to explore other ways of reconnecting - not just through the mind, but through the body. A silent meditation retreat helped me meet parts of me I had numbed for years in an attempt to “be strong.”
Becoming a breathwork facilitator then taught me how profoundly we can regulate our nervous system with the most overlooked tool we have: our breath. Freediving, meanwhile, became a humbling teacher: every time my ego whispered that I wasn’t enough, my body tensed, my mind raced, and the dive fell short. Only when I replaced forced striving with gratitude, playfulness and bodily awareness did I manage to get into the flow, improve and - ironically - bypass the goals I had initially set.
Next to working as a psychologist and breathwork coach I have also spent some time working in the corporate world - driven by a curiosity to experience high-pressure environments myself so I can better empathise with my clients.
Today, I hold space for those who wish to live their life in a way that both your 8 and 88-year-old self would approve of. This involves breathing deeper, choosing your actions consciously and living by example.
If any of this speaks to you, I would love to guide you on the way. Feel free to book a free 30-min introductory call and let's see where this impulse takes us.
All the best,
Livian