Expat Therapy in Barcelona
Maybe you can relate to this..
“There was once a little boy who walked the same path every day to get to school. And on that path, he always passed by a circus where there were still animals. One of them was an elephant — a very big, strong elephant.
But the boy noticed something: the elephant was trapped by a small, thin chain. And he asked himself, why doesn’t such a big, powerful elephant break this tiny chain and escape?
Days go by, and he kept wondering, but he couldn’t find an answer.
Then one day, lying in bed, the boy started imagining the elephant when he was a baby, when he was very small — tied to the same chain he had now. Back then, he tried with all his strength to escape. He pulled, pushed, struggled, sweated, cried…But he was too small.
The baby elephant tried one day, and the next day, and the day after that…until he was exhausted, until he hurt himself..but he still couldn’t escape. So one day, very tired and very sad, he accepted that he would never be able to break that chain.
And from that day on, he carried a silent belief inside him: “I can’t.”
And now, as an adult, he still believed he couldn’t do it, because he carried that painful memory inside his head.”
Each of us has a chained elephant in our head.
But I am sure — truly sure — that one day, you will break your chain.
So how do we break free?
We all have our own chain. We all feel stuck in some way.
Maybe for you it’s:
“If I say no, I’ll lose people.”
“If I’m not perfect, I won’t be loved.”
“If I show my real feelings, I’ll be rejected.”
“I’ve tried before and failed — I’ll never make it.”
These beliefs aren’t signs of weakness and they don’t mean you’re crazy. They’re just signs of old pain that shows up in your emotions, behavior, relationships, and even in your body.
Inside, there’s a younger part of you — just like the little elephant — who once felt anxious, overwhelmed, or alone…and who learned to survive by keeping quiet, being perfect, or trying not to not upset anyone.
In therapy, we gently get to know that “little elephant” inside you. Together, we listen to what that younger part of you needed back then and what you still need now.
We work with your thoughts, emotions, and body, and we uncover the unconscious patterns that influence you. Some still serve you, and some we can slowly transform into something that empowers you. We also learn skills to connect to your body and feel more calm and at ease.
What Working Together Feels Like
What you can expect
A warm, compassionate space where you can be yourself.
Working at your pace — no pressure.
Understanding and changing old patterns with compassion.
Practical tools to feel calmer and more grounded.
Guidance and support in decision-making.
Working as a team to reach your goals.
What therapy isn't
Advice-giving or quick fixes.
A place to be perfect or “perform.”
Judging/blaming you or your past.
Telling you to do things you don’t want to.
Pressuring you to talk about something when you’re not ready.
Linear or immediate – healing has ups and downs.
About me
Hi there! I’m Ana, and before I was a therapist, I was a client.
Every week on Tuesday, I’d let myself break into pieces in front of someone. I’d let them see every part of me. What changed my life wasn’t just the tools I received. It was having someone see me, understand me and accept me when I wasn’t the best version of myself. Healing in itself is learning to love and let others love the ‘broken’ sides of you.
I’ve lived and worked in Bucharest, Amsterdam, and now Barcelona, and I work with clients from all over the world. I hold a special place in my heart for trauma and anxiety therapy. I connect deeply with people who have been through very difficult relationships, painful childhoods, and who are looking to just have someone believe in them they way they wish they believed in themselves. I love inner child work, speaking about that little elephant and giving him all the care he needs. I also deeply care about we carry old pain in our body and we connect and heal through it. I would say before being therapist, I’m a human just like you. I show up imperfect as well. Sometimes I don’t have all the right answers, however I’ll work with you as a team towards what you need. I’ll never give up on you.
Outside of the therapy room, I keep practicing being an imperfect human and showing up with vulnerability and compassion. I love nature, hiking, animals, dancing, painting, meditating, yoga, and lifting weights. Energy, intuition, and the way I carry experiences in my body is also very important to me.
