Get to Know: Petru Ilie
We’re excited to welcome Petru Ilie, Masters Level Clinician to the team! Petru brings a lot of life experience and insight to this role. Enjoy this brief interview to get to know him a bit more.
Why did you decide to become a counselor?
My favorite thing in the world is helping people wade through the messiness of life and become the best version of who they want to be. Life can be funky and hard, but there is also goodness and beauty to be found; sometimes we just need some help to see it. I have also personally benefited from various forms of therapy over the years, and I love that I get to pay it forward now.
What are your favorite parts of being a counselor-in-training?
My favorite part is connecting with people in a meaningful way. Our world seems to increasingly encourage and reward disconnectedness and isolation, along with tribalism and judgmentalism toward anyone who thinks differently. I love encountering varied perspectives and seeing the world through different eyes, all the while sharing in this common experience we call “life.” We are all along for the ride, so we might as well support each other along the way!
How do you practice your own self-care?
The words of one of my earliest therapists have always stuck with me. Before we would dive into all my existential musings and emotional burdens that troubled me, he would always stop me and ask, “Are you eating healthy? Are you exercising? Are you getting the right amount of sleep? We can’t sort through the other stuff well if we don’t first take care of the vehicle through which you access all of reality, your body and brain.” I still take his wise encouragement to heart. In addition, I find mindfulness meditation very helpful in increasing my equanimity and ability to be present in the moment.
What’s something about mental health you wish more people knew about?
There is a difference between knowing about something and really KNOWING something – encountering it personally and believing it through and through. I wish more people knew that we have both more control and less control over life than we think, and embracing this paradox can be empowering. In other words, we are both more and less free than we think at the same time, and knowing the difference between the two can save us a world of heartache. A big part of wellbeing is letting go of the things that are not ours to affect, all the while bravely taking charge over the things that we can change.
How do you enjoy life?
Some of the ways I enjoy life include spending time with loved ones, experiencing all kinds of good food and drink, petting dogs, philosophizing about the meaning of it all, and playing video games.
If you weren't a therapist, what would you choose to do for work instead?
I would run a 24/7 doggie day-care, with guaranteed extra cuddles. Except I would never give any of the dogs back, then my day-care business would close and I would be charged with dognapping, so it’s good I’m a therapist instead.
Thanks for helping us welcome Petru to the team! If you’re interested in working with Petru for telehealth therapy in Chicago or Illinois, contact us for a consultation call.
