Individual Therapy Sessions

“Healing is the application of love to the places inside that hurt.”

Iyanla Vanzant

Art Therapy

I offer art therapy sessions separately or in combination with gestalt and/or psychosomatic therapy. Below you will find the description of each type of therapy and method I apply in my work with clients, however, most of the time, I use a combination of these therapies, different methods and instruments adjusting to my clients’ individual needs.

Processing and releasing emotions

Art therapy is a powerful way to unlock emotions, promote healing and self-awareness. It can be described as a deep active visual meditation and reflection process, which allows you to experience a catharsis – a powerful release of emotions, which can lead to improvements not just in mental and emotional well-being, but also in physical symptoms related to those emotions, which makes it a powerful tool in psychosomatic healing.

Connecting with the unconscious

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” ~ Carl Jung

Art-therapy can also help us tap into our unconscious and intuition. The unconscious speaks to us in the language of images and symbols, and through exploring and understanding their messages we can make our unconscious conscious. Although the work of the unconscious is yet to be explained by science, there is already good evidence that the right hemisphere of our brain operates in intuition and insight, and this is the same part in the brain that is activated during creative processes.

Whether I work with children or adults, artistic talent is not a requirement in my therapy sessions. Depending on your intention or request for the session, I can suggest specific art therapy techniques where simple materials, like crayons and watercolors, can be used to allow your creativity to flow freely.

Art Therapy with Adults

My art therapy sessions with adults and teenagers can be provided both in-person (in Lisbon) and online.

The areas where art therapy can be beneficial include:
 – Enhancing emotional awareness and personal growth;
– Navigating life transitions and challenging situations (divorce or relationship change, job loss/career change, relocation, health changes, etc.);
– Discovering innovative solutions to challenges and gaining clarity for difficult decisions;
– Managing anxiety and stress;
– Healing from trauma and grief (loss of a loved one);
– Exploring the roots of chronic health issues (additional support in psychosomatic therapy);
– Improving relationships and resolving conflicts.

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Art Therapy and Play Therapy with Children

Art therapy is especially effective with children, as for them engagement in a creative process, such as drawing, painting or sculpting, is their most intuitive self-expression and one of their first forms of communication. Their complex ideas and feelings are often hard to express with words, but the moment they start drawing or sculpting their feelings find a way to be expressed. Once the feelings are expressed through their art, children often find words that correspond to these deep inner feelings.

I work with children starting from the age of 4 (in-person support based in Lisbon and Caldas-da-Rainha), and in my work with younger children I often combine art therapy with play therapy techniques.

I also offer online sessions to adolescents starting from the age of 12.

The areas where art therapy can be beneficial for children include:

  • improving self-expression, communication and emotional processing;
  • adaptation to life in a new country and school;
  • support during the adolescent crisis, as well as with challenges related to self-esteem and self-identity;
  • coping with strong feelings (anxiety, stress, sadness, frustration, anger);
  • healing from trauma and grief;
  • addressing behavioural and social problems, and some learning disabilities.
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Gestalt Therapy

Gestalt therapy, founded by Fritz Perls, is a holistic, experiential approach to psychotherapy that emphasizes self-awareness, personal responsibility, and living in the present moment. Rooted in humanistic psychology, this holistic approach aims to help you gain insight into your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to foster greater self-understanding and connection to yourself and others, and to allow you to live more fully.

What to Expect in Gestalt Therapy:

In sessions, you may engage in therapeutic dialogues, self-observation and role-playing experiments, or creative exercises that allow you to explore issues in a dynamic, hands-on way. Gestalt therapy fosters a safe, supportive space where you can explore vulnerabilities and deepen your self-awareness.

Who Can Benefit from Gestalt Therapy?

Gestalt therapy is suitable for individuals seeking to enhance self-awareness, navigate life transitions, improve emotional regulation, or resolve interpersonal issues.

Areas of support for my clients in Gestalt therapy:

Well-being, quality of life, and health:
— challenges and crises related to emigration
— loss of motivation, familiar foundations, sense of purpose, and interest in life
— difficulty in making decisions
— emotional burnout, depression, and anxiety
— grieving (loss of loved ones)

Relationship with oneself:
— low self-esteem, self-criticism, and perfectionism
— disconnection from one’s own body, feelings, and emotions
— fear of saying “no” and inability to set or maintain personal boundaries
— hyper-control, excessive sense of responsibility, and guilt

Relationships with others:
— conflicts and difficulties in relationships
— painful breakups or divorce
— challenges in communication and building close, intimate relationships

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Psychosomatic therapy

Psychosomatic therapy is a holistic therapeutic approach that focuses on the intricate connection between the mind and body. It recognizes that emotional and psychological factors can significantly influence physical health and well-being. This therapy aims to address both the psychological aspects of a person’s experience and any physical symptoms they may be experiencing.

Psychosomatic therapy operates on the understanding that psychological stress, unresolved emotions and inner conflicts can manifest as physical symptoms. By exploring this connection, the therapy seeks to uncover the root causes of these symptoms.

Customized Therapeutic Techniques:
 In my psychosomatic therapy sessions, I use a variety of techniques, including biological decoding therapy, specifically designed talk therapy and guided visualization techniques, mindfulness exercises, and somatic awareness practices, to help clients explore their experiences and emotions.

Who Can Benefit from Psychosomatic Therapy?

Psychosomatic therapy can be particularly beneficial for individuals experiencing chronic pain, digestive issues, anxiety, depression, or stress-related disorders. If you find that your physical symptoms correlate with emotional challenges, psychosomatic therapy provides a compassionate space to explore and address these complexities.

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