Associate Professor Simona ŞTEFAN
Simona Ștefan, PhD is Associate Professor at 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 counsellor. 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.
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Subjects taught:
- Clinical Psychology and Individual and Group Psychotherapies I
- Clinica Psychology II
- Self-awareness and Personal Development
Schedule for hearings:
Thursday: 12 p.m. – 2 p. m. EET
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Research Interests:
- Anxiety disorders – mechanisms and treatment
- Efficacy of psychological treatments
- Schema therapy and third wave interventions
- Psychology of interpersonal relations
Projects & Grants:
| 2020-2022: project director UBB, 35288/18.11.2020– “Schema focused therapy for transdiagnostic worry” (Babes-Bolyai internal grant) 2018-2019: Fulbright Grant, Council for International Exchange of Scholars/Institute of International Education (IIE/CIES) and the Romanian – U.S. Fulbright Commission, 665/25/06/2018 – Positive Emotion Dysregulation and Behavioral Avoidance in Relation to Social Anxiety and Depression Symptoms 2019 – 2021: project director of PN III –P1 – 1.1 – TE – 2016 – 1054, (grant earned in competition by Ioana Cristea, Ph.D.) 2016-2017: project director UBB, 31814/23.03.2016 – “Care-avoidant versus care-seeking illness anxiety – etiological mechanisms” (Babes-Bolyai internal grant) 2012 – 2014: project director PN-II-RU-PD-2012-3-0168 -,, Explaining irritable bowel syndrome – the role of worry and worry-related constructs” (UMF Iuliu Haţieganu, Cluj – Napoca) 2013 – 2017: PN-II-PT-PCCA-2013-4-1797 – Promoting active aging – a computerized platform for cognitive training and rehabilitation (ActiveCORE) (project member) 2015 – 2017: PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-1316 – Moderators of treatment response to cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression; what works best and for whom (project member) 2015 – 2017: PNI-II-RU-TE-2014-4-0490 – A randomized clinical trial for investigating the efficacy of a smartphone application for mammary biopsy symptom management: Bio h-app (project member) 2008 – 2014: Grant awarded by the Albert Ellis Institute, New York, „Rational emotive and cognitive-behavior therapy versus Cognitive therapy versus Acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (project member) |
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Publications:
International books and chapters
Stefan, S. & David, D. (2021).Case formulation for complexity and co-morbidity in anxiety disorders and depression. In G. Todd & R. Branch (Eds.), Evidence-based treatment for anxiety disorders and depression: A cognitive behavior therapy compendium. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Barthel, A. L., Stefan, S. & Hofmann, S. G. (2020). Psychotherapy for panic disorder: empirically-based treatments, intevention models, and emerging evidence. In The American Psychiatric Association Textbook of Anxiety, Trauma and OCD related Disorders, 3rd edition.
Candea, D., Stefan, S., Matu, S., Mogoase, C., Iftene, F., David, D., & Szentagotai, A. (2019). REBT in the Treatment of Subclinical and Clinical Depression. New York: Springer.
David, D., Cardos, R., Candea, D., Oltean, H., & Stefan, S. (2019). REBT in Depressive Disorders. In Bernard, M. & Dryden, W. (Eds.). ‘REBT with Diverse Client Problems and Populations. New York: Springer.
Cristea, I., Stefan, S., David, O., Mogoase, C., & Dobrean, A. (2016). REBT in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adults. New York: Springer.
David, D. & Stefan, S. (2017). Eastern Europe. In Hofmann, S. G. (Ed.), International Perspectives on Psychotherapy (pp. 107 – 120). New York: Springer.
National books and chapters (in Romanian)
Ștefan, S. (2018). Intervenții cognitiv comportamentale pentru modificarea comportamentului alimentar la pacienții cu boli cardiovasculare. În Vlad, C. (Editor), Rolul nutritiei in prevenirea bolilor cardiovasculare. Editura Medicală Universitara Cluj Napoca.
Ștefan, S. (2018). Evaluarea personalității. În Enea, V. Și Dafinoiu, I. (Eds.). Evaluarea psihologică. Manualul psihologului clinician. Polirom, Iași.
Ștefan, S., Matu, S., & David, D. (2017). Emoțiile pozitive. În Szentagotai-Tătar, A. & David, D. (Eds.), Tratat de Psihologie Pozitivă. Polirom, Iași.
Ștefan, S. (2017). Creativitatea. În Szentagotai-Tătar, A. & David, D. (Eds.), Tratat de Psihologie Pozitivă. Polirom, Iași.
Ștefan, S. (2017). Starea de flow/flux al conștiinței. În Szentagotai-Tătar, A. & David, D. (Eds.), Tratat de Psihologie Pozitivă. Polirom, Iași.
Ștefan, S. & Coteț, C. (2017). Recunoștința. În Szentagotai-Tătar, A. & David, D. (Eds.), Tratat de Psihologie Pozitivă. Polirom, Iași.
Ștefan, S. (2017). Terapia rațional‑emotivă și comportamentală (REBT) pentru tulburarea de personalitate dependentă. În Popa, C., Sava, F., & David, D. (Eds.). Psihoterapiile cognitive și comportamentale în tulburările de personalitate. Polirom, Iași.
Web of Science/ISI Articles
Stefan, S., Fodor, L., Curt, I., Ionescu, A., Pantea, N., Jiboc, N., & Tegzesiu, A. (2021). Health anxiety, perceived risk and perceived control in following recommended preventive measures during early COVID-19 response in Romania. BJPsych Open, 7(5), E160.
Mesterelu, I., Rimbu, R., Blaga, P., & Stefan, S. (2021). Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry Research, 302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114021Get rights and content
Gal, E., Stefan, S., & Cristea, I. (2021). The efficacy of mindfulness meditation apps in enhancing users’ well-being and mental health related outcomes: a meta-analysis of randomized control trials. Journal of Affective Disorders, 279, 131 – 142.
Stefan, S. & David, D. (2020). Mindfulness in Therapy: A Critical Analysis, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 68:2, 167-182, DOI:10.1080/00207144.2020.1720514
Stefan, S., Zorila, A., & Brie, E. (2019). General threat and health-related attention biases
in illness anxiety disorder. A brief research report. Cognition & Emotion, https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2019.1645643
Stefan, S., Cristea I., Szentagotai Tatar, A., & David, D. (2019). Cognitive‐behavioral therapy (CBT) for
generalized anxiety disorder: Contrasting various CBT approaches in a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1188 – 1202, doi: 10.1002/jclp.22779
David, D., Ștefan, S., & Terraciano, A. (2018). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in the
Cross-Cultural Context: An Extension of the Standard Paradigm from Individual to Country/Culture Level—A Brief Introduction into a New Research Line. Journal of Rational-Emotive &
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-018-0303-9
David, D., Cotet, C., Matu, S., Mogoase, C. & Stefan, S. (2017). 50 years of rational-emotive and cognitive-behavioral therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 00:1-15. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22514.
Cristea, I., Stefan, S., Karyotaki, E., David, D., Hollon, S., & Cuijpers, P. (2017). The falling effect
of cognitive behavioral therapy for depression is probably a fluke: a revision of Johnsen & Friborg (2015). Psychological Bulletin, 143 (3), 326 – 340.
Tulbure B. T., Szentagotai A., David O., Ștefan S., Månsson KNT, David D., et al. (2015) Internet-Delivered Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder in Romania: A Randomized Controlled Trial. PLoS ONE 10(5): e0123997.
Iftene, F., Predescu, E., Stefan, S., & David, D. (2015). Rational-emotive and cognitive-behavior therapy (REBT/CBT) versus pharmacotherapy versus REBT/CBT plus pharmacotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder in youth; A randomized clinical trial. Psychiatry Research, 225 (3), 687 – 694.
Igna, R. & Stefan, S. (2015). Comparing cognitive strategies in the process of emotion regulation. Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies, 15, 251 – 266.
Igna, R., Stefan, S., Onac I., Onac, I., Ungur, R., & Szentagotai, A. (2014). Mindfulness-based cognitive-behavior therapy (MCBT) versus virtual reality (VR) enhanced CBT, versus treatment as usual for chronic back pain. A clinical trial. Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies, 14(2),
Stefan, S., & David, D. (2013). Recent developments in the experimental investigation of the illusion of control. A meta-analytic review. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 43(2), 377–386.
Stefan, S., & David, D. (2013). The functions of worry and its relation to performance in controllable and uncontrollable situations. Cognition and Emotion,27(3), 521-529. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2012.722075
Mogoase, C., Stefan, S., & David, D. (2013). How do we measure rational and irrational beliefs? The development of Rational and Irrational Beliefs Scale (RAIBS) – a new theory driven measure. Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies, 13 (2a), 529-546.
Stefan, S., & David, D. (2013). Face-to-face counseling versus high definition holographic projection system. Efficacy and therapeutic alliance. A brief research report. Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies, 13 (1).
Mogoase, C. & Stefan, S. (2013). Is there a difference between functional and dysfunctional negative emotions? The preliminary validation of the functional and dysfunctional negative emotions scale. Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies, 13 (1), 13-32.
Abrams, M., & Stefan, S. (2012). Sexual abuse and masochism in women: etiology and treatment. Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies, 12(2).
Sucală, M., Stefan, S., Macavei, B., Dobrean, A., Bolno, J., Mironiuc, I. A., Mironiuc, C., & David, D. (2010). Residual limb pain and distress in amputated patients. A brief report. Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies, 10, 211-218.
ISI Proceedings
Stefan, S., & Dumitrascu, D. L. (2014). The role of worry and related psychological constructs in predicting IBS symptoms in clinical population. Proceedings of EAPM 2014 – Care and cure: an integrated approach to psychosomatic medicine
International articles (not indexed in WoS)
Stefan S. & Hofmann, S. (2019). Integrating Metta Into CBT: How Loving Kindness and Compassion Meditation Can Enhance CBT for Treating Anxiety and Depression. Clinical Psychology in Europe, 1(3), article e32941
Stefan. S., & David, D. (2014). Obsessive-compulsive, Generalized anxiety tendencies and the illusion of control: An investigation of cognitive mechanisms. Transylvanian Journal of Psychology, 15 (1), 3 – 13.
Stefan, S., & David, D. (2013). The Functions of Worry in Uncontrollable Situations -Perceived Effects of Worry and the Feeling of Being in Control. Transylvanian Journal of Psychology, 14 (1), 3 – 13.
Stefan, S., & David, D. (2011). Designing and testing new measurement instruments for rational and irrational beliefs related to uncertainty and control. Transylvanian Journal of Psychology, 13 (2), 12 – 22.
Cristea, I., Sucala, M., Stefan, S., Igna, R., David, D., & Szentagotai, A. (2011). Positive and negative emotions in cardiac patients: the contributions of trait optimism, expectancies and hopes. Cognition, Brain, Behavior. An Interdisciplinary Journal, 15(3), 317-329.
Sucală, M., Stefan, S., Szentagotai-Tatar, A., & David, D. (2010). Time flies when you expect to have fun. An experimental investigation of the relationship between expectancies and the perception of time progression. Cognition, Brain, Behavior. An Interdisciplinary Journal, 14, 231-241.
Conference presentations
Stefan, S., Mesterelu, I., Rimbu, R., & Blaga, P. (2021). Obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anxiety and preventive behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: do responsibility and age play a role? Poster presented at the 10th International Congress of Cognitive Psychotherapy (ICCP), 13-15 May, Rome, Italy.
Stefan S. & David, D. (2019). CBT/REBT in a cross-cultural framework: a new research paradigm. Paper presented at the 4th International Congress of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy, 13 – 15 September, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Stefan S. (2019). Contrasting various Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approaches -REBT, CT, ACT – for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A randomized clinical trial. Paper presented at the 4th International Congress of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy, 13 – 15 September, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Stefan, S. & Zorila, A. (2019). General threat and health-related attention biases in illness anxiety disorder. Poster presented at the 9th World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, 17 – 22 July, Berlin, Germany.
Stefan, S., Cristea, I., Cotet, C., Weitz, E., & Cuijpers, P. (2017). An individual patient data meta-analysis of minority status as a predictor of outcome in Cognitive Behavior Therapy and pharmacotherapy for adult depression. Paper presented at the 9th International Congress of Cognitive Psychotherapy (ICCP), Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 28th June – 1st of July.
Stefan, S. (2017). Avoidance and disengagement attention biases in care-avoidant versus careseeking health anxiety. Poster presented at the International Convention of Psychological
Science (ICPS), Vienna, 23rd -25th March.
David, D., Cotet, C., Matu, S., Mogoase, C. & Stefan, S. (2016). 50 years of RationalEmotive and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Paper presented at European Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, (EABCT), Stockholm, 31st August – 3rd September.
Vălenaș, S.P., Cândea, D.M., Ștefan, S., & Szentágotai-Tătar, A., (2016, September). The relationship between rumination and executive functions: A meta-analysis. Poster presented at the 46th Annual EABCT, „Roots and present branches of CBT”, Stockholm, Sweden.
Stefan, S., Candea, D., Valenas, S., Miu, A., Szentagotai-Tatar, A., (2015, September). CBT for quality of life and improving cognitive functioning in the elderly. A meta-analysis. Poster presented at the 45th Annual EABCT Congress CBT: A Road to Hope and Compassion for People in Conflict, Jerusalem, Israel
Stefan S., & Dumitrascu, D. L. (2014). The role of worry and related psychological constructs in predicting IBS symptoms in clinical population. Poster presented at EAPM 2014 – Care and Cure: An Integrated Approach to Psychosomatic Medicine, Sibiu, Romania.
Stefan, S. (2013). Face to face versus high definition holographic projection system psychological counseling. Efficacy and therapeutic alliance. Paper presented at the 7th World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, 22-25 July, Lima, Peru.
Stefan, S., & David, D. (2011, September). Obsessive-compulsive, generalized anxiety tendencies and the illusion of control: An investigation of cognitive mechanisms. Poster presented at the European Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapy (EABCT) Congress, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Stefan, S., Sucala, M., Szentagotai, A., & David, D. (2010, September). Emotional well-being in patients with coronary heart disease. Paper presented at EHPS (European Health Psychological Society), Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Stefan, S. (2010, Septembrie). Investigarea experimentală a iluziei controlului. Un studiu meta-analitic, Conferinţa Naţională de Psihologie, Iaşi.
Stefan, S., & David, D. (2009, September). Superstitious strategies and illusory control judgments in a stress-inducing situation. Poster presented at EHPS (European Health Psychological Society), Pisa, Italy.
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Blog / Website:
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