Dr. Mary Gouva is a psychologist and Professor with a focus on mental health, person-centered care, and the psychosocial dimensions of illness. She serves as Head of the Department of Nursing and Director of the Laboratory of Psychology and Person-Centered Care at the University of Ioannina, Greece. Her work bridges psychodynamic theory with contemporary healthcare research, exploring how individuals, families, and healthcare professionals experience illness, vulnerability, and care. She has extensive research experience in intensive care unit (ICU) settings, with a substantial body of publications examining the psychological and relational dimensions of critical illness. Her research focuses on caregiving relationships, loneliness, self-care, and quality of life in chronic and life-threatening conditions. She has led interdisciplinary studies and contributed to the development of conceptual and empirical models linking psychological processes with health outcomes. She is actively engaged in international collaborations, peer review, and editorial activities. Her current work includes the development of the HALO theory, which conceptualizes care as a sustained relational presence rather than a technical intervention.