Romanian Therapist in Pennsylvania
Have you ever tried to explain how you're feeling, and realized the words just don't exist in English?
For many Romanian and Romanian-American clients, finding a therapist who speaks your language isn't just a convenience. It's the difference between being heard and being understood. At Better Minds Counseling & Services, we offer therapy in Romanian through our licensed therapist, Ioana Neagoe, LPC, a Romanian immigrant who brings both lived experience and clinical expertise to every session.
Sessions are fully virtual, available entirely in Romanian, English, or a mix of both… whatever feels most natural to you.
Our Romanian-speaking clients often come to therapy carrying things that are hard to put into words in any language; the pressure of navigating two cultures, family expectations, the grief of distance, or the quiet loneliness of building a life far from home. Some have never spoken about their struggles out loud before. Others have tried therapy and felt like something was always getting lost in translation.
After working with Ioana, they leave feeling genuinely understood for the first time; not just heard, but seen. They come in feeling like outsiders in their own story and leave with more clarity, stronger roots, and the tools to move forward on their own terms.
Why Seeing a Romanian Therapist Matters
Language is more than words
Emotions, family dynamics, and personal history often make more sense and feel more real when expressed in your native language. Romanian has nuances, expressions, and ways of talking about relationships and feelings that simply don't carry over in translation. Therapy in Romanian means you never have to pause mid-sentence to find the "right" English word. You can just speak.
Cultural context shapes mental health
Romanian culture carries its own values around family, resilience, religion, and the way emotional struggles are — or aren't — talked about. A therapist with the same background doesn't need a cultural primer. She already understands the dynamics of immigration, the weight of family obligations, the unspoken rules about strength, and the complex emotions that come with straddling two worlds.
Immigration brings its own grief
Moving to the United States (whether recently or years ago) can stir up loss, identity questions, loneliness, and a sense of not fully belonging anywhere. These experiences are real, and they deserve to be explored with someone who genuinely understands them, not just academically, but personally.
Mental health stigma is real in our community
If you grew up hearing "just push through it" or felt like struggles were meant to stay private, you're not alone. In many Eastern European communities, seeking therapy can feel unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or even shameful. Therapy is not a sign of weakness. It's one of the most courageous things you can do for yourself, and you deserve support that feels safe and genuinely helpful.
What We Help With
Our Romanian-speaking therapist works with adolescents, adults, couples, and families on a wide range of concerns, including:
Anxiety — worry, overthinking, panic attacks, phobias, perfectionism
OCD — intrusive thoughts, compulsions, checking, Pure O, and more
Grief and Loss — the death of a loved one, relationship loss, life transitions
Trauma — past abuse, narcissistic relationships, childhood trauma, complex PTSD
Depression — low mood, numbness, withdrawal, loss of meaning
Life Transitions & Immigration Adjustment — navigating identity, belonging, and new beginnings
Relationship Stress — family conflict, communication breakdowns, boundary struggles
Pregnancy & Postpartum — perinatal anxiety, postpartum depression, identity changes in parenthood
Existential Questions — purpose, meaning, self-worth, and finding your direction
Sessions are available entirely in Romanian, English, or both.
Why Better Minds Counseling & Services?
We offer therapy in Romanian with a licensed therapist who shares the cultural experience
We specialize in anxiety, OCD, trauma, and grief — the concerns we most often see in immigrant communities
All sessions are fully virtual — accessible from anywhere in Pennsylvania
Our therapists are warm, relatable, and clinically trained
We believe you are human, not the problem
We create a nonjudgmental, judgment-free space where healing can happen
Whether you want to speak Romanian the entire time or find yourself switching back and forth mid-session — that's okay. You can show up exactly as you are.
Meet Ioana Neagoe, LPC — Romanian-Speaking Therapist
Ioana (pronounced ee-wa-na) is a Licensed Professional Counselor born in Romania, fluent in Romanian and English, and conversational in German. She holds a Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from the University of Pittsburgh.
Ioana's approach is rooted in existential and person-centered therapy; she sees therapy as a genuine partnership, not a protocol. Sessions are highly personalized: whether you're looking for structured tools, space to process openly, or mindfulness-based support, Ioana tailors her approach to what you need most.
She is trained in:
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP/ExRP) for OCD and anxiety
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Mindfulness-Based CBT
Motivational Interviewing
Trauma-informed care
Clients describe Ioana as nurturing, present, and spirited. Having navigated her own mental health journey as an immigrant, she brings a rare combination of personal understanding and clinical depth to her work.
"Having had first-hand experience with mental health difficulties myself, I felt compelled to learn as much as I could about it. The more I learned, the more I healed — and the more I wanted to share my findings with others." — Ioana Neagoe, LPC
Now What?
Here are the next steps to starting therapy today!
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Complete the form on the Contact page.
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Better Minds admin will email you to schedule an intro meeting with your preferred/best matched therapist.
(What is an intro meeting? Some therapists call this a consultation or consult call. It is a free 15-minute meeting with a therapist to discuss what is bringing to seek therapy, how that therapist works in therapy appointments, and any questions you may have).
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You will have the intro meeting with your therapist and schedule your first appointment.
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After your intro meeting, Better Minds admin will email you the initial paperwork (consents, etc.) to review before your first appointment.