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Catarina Vasconcelos

ABOUT ME

Hello and welcome to my website!

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I'm Catarina, a qualified Art Psychotherapist and Clinical Psychologist, offering psychotherapy in Lisbon and online.

 

I work with clients with diverse backgrounds and ages, providing them with a safe and supportive space where they can create meaning, be held and explore their experiences at their own pace with the view to improve their mental, social, emotional and physical health. Having trained and worked in the UK, I lived in between cultures for many years and developed a culturally sensitive approach, inclusive of all differences. As a bilingual psychotherapist, I offer psychotherapy in English and Portuguese.

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I do not see my work as one of fixing people's problems and instead I focus on facilitating your journey and development through a joint creative process. I believe every person is the best expert of their own life and holds the clues to guide them in their journey towards their full potential.

 

In my own personal journey I've learnt about the power of arts in healing and the important contribute of psychotherapy for my own self-awareness and growth. The practice of yoga, meditation, ceramics and other forms of arts, have been key to my wellbeing and support my therapeutic work.    

I am also a music enthusiast, traveller, a sister and a mother.

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If you are curious about working with me, you can read below about about my professional background and therapeutic approach.

About: Sobre mim
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About: background
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MY BACKGROUND

My first steps into the world of Clinical Psychology were done in 2008, as part of my MA in Psychology, and they involved working at a community-based service in Lisbon, offering individual cognitive-behavioural counselling sessions to adult women who suffered from depression and anxiety.

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Soon after, I undertook a postgraduate degree in Expressive Methodologies in Education. Alongside this training I developed psychoeducational expressive workshops for children and families and I managed an obesity prevention program for children. 

In 2011 I moved to the UK to train in Art Psychotherapy. I have set up and managed therapeutic services in several primary schools in London, intervening therapeutically with vulnerable children and young people, from various ethnic and social backgrounds. This work also involved the ongoing support of parents, families and school staff, mainly centred around the emotional needs of the young person and positive parenting strategies.
Additionally, I have worked with adult women affected by breast cancer at the Royal Free Hospital in London, supporting them in group and individual Art Therapy. Furthermore, I have worked in the charity sector, offering counselling and art therapy to mothers and carers of children under 5. I also collaborated as a Child Art Therapist with a British national charity dedicated to preventing violence and abuse towards women and girls.


Fuelled by a continued passion for my job and opportunities to learn from incredible people, I have gained a significant amount of experience working with a number of psychological issues and life-changing circumstances. As someone who has lived, studied and work abroad for years, I can personally identify and empathise with some of the challenges that may come up for expats and international students. Likewise, having been through maternity, I am able to relate to and have a deeper understanding of issues that mothers and fathers may go through during their reproduction and parenting journey. 

My areas of interest include attachment and loss; the nonverbal and body experience in the process of healing; gender roles an their relation to wellbeing; maternal/paternal mental health.

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My practice is in between London and Lisbon currently. I offer online art psychotherapy as well. In parallel to my private practice, I work in the academic world, tutoring students who are pursuing a therapeutic training and I offer clinical supervision to trainees and qualified therapists. 

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Approach

MY APPROACH

With knowledge of different psychological theories and therapeutic techniques, my approach is holistic and eclectic. I learned from my work that different media and techniques suit various people according to their needs and preferred forms of expression. My work is based on the principles of Art Psychotherapy, Psychodynamic, Jungian and Systemic Therapies, and is supported by the latest evidence from Neuroscience and Somatic Psychology. I believe in the connection between body and mind and I work a lot with the body.


In my sessions, I offer a professional therapeutic relationship of trust, empathy and respect in which I aim to help you  feel comfortable and safe to bring issues that concern you and thus make sense of them in order to find inner balance and peace in your life. You can talk about what worries you and/or express yourself in creative ways. I follow your pace and listen to you without judgment or interference, offering reflections and questions that will help you explore the topics relevant to you. The exploration in therapy of certain feelings and behaviours will lead to a better understanding of these and may facilitate the resolution of deeper problems.

Depending on what you are looking for and what makes sense to you, I may suggest specific exercises that may be helpful to you at certain moments in your process. These may include guided visualizations, role-plays, relaxations, body movements and readings. Where appropriate, I can also recommend cognitive-behavioral strategies that may benefit you in developing awareness of negative thought-feeling-behavior patterns and helping you create alternative patterns.

The use of creative media in therapy offers an alternative form of expression that can assist you in communicating feelings or experiences that are difficult to be put into words. I work with images as extensions of a person and see them as embodiment of one's experiences. No previous artistic experience is necessary. My Art Therapy background allows me to work with symbols, metaphors and images as manifestations and communications of the unconscious. The unconscious can be described as a layer of the psyche, or the totality of the human mind, where attitudes, beliefs, memories and ideologies normally hidden from consciousness, are stored. Such manifestations can arise through paintings and images, through the use of projective methods (for example, when we look at scribbles and see an image), through dreams, your imagination, visualizations, and other situations in everyday life. According to the Jungian approach, it can be extremely rich to explore the meaning of the unconscious aspects that emerge from the psyche, as they can provide information about you and the way you see the world, and help you find a balance between the various components of your psyche and the different parts of your Self.

At times, it may be important to work with the relational dynamics that emerge between us and to look your past history, in order to help you in your present process. At all times you are in control and in each session we will work with what is relevant for you at that particular time.


As required by my professional body, I attend regular supervision with a qualified clinical supervisor, who maintains full confidentiality regarding all of my work and I carry a professional idemnity insurance. If you feel that you would like to work with me, I would love to hear from you. 

Individual Art Therapy: who for

WHO FOR?

Adults, teenagers and children

My areas of interest and expertise include:

International community and Expats

Maternal/Paternal Mental Health (Pregnancy issues, Maternity, Paternity and Post-natal issues)

Psychotherapy and Counselling students

Relational difficulties

Health related issues, Life-threatening illness

Anxiety, Panic, Fears

Depression, Low self-esteem

Loss and Bereavement

Abuse, Trauma

Work related stress, Burnout

Parenting difficulties and Child related issues

Identity issues

Life Transitions

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I work with people wanting to move away from past trauma and have healthier and happier lives in the present. I work with people who are struggling, in need of holding and compassion, and wanting to work towards empowerment.

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​​Working with me might not be the best service for you if you are struggling with substance misuse and/or suicidal ideation, or have a diagnosis of personality disorder or complex psychiatric disorder. However, I advise you to look up on therapy platforms as there may be therapists who are able to work with you if I cannot. 

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If you are struggling and in need of immediate support, please call 999, use NHS recommended helplines and support groups, or see your doctor for advice.

About: qualifications

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ACCREDITATIONS

 

Art Psychotherapist registered with the Health & Care Professions Council UK (HCPC) (AS14728)

Full-member of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) (31554)

Previous graduate member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) (334372)

Effective member of the Portuguese Psychologists' Council (OPP) (29520)

Clinical Counselling Supervisor (CPTA L6), course accredited by BACP, UK

 PgDip Expressive Methodologies in Education, ISLA, Portugal
Trainer with Pedagogical Ability Certificate (CAP), Portugal 

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I am bound by the Codes of Ethics and Practice Standards of the above professional bodies.
 

HCPC Registered Art Psychotherapist
Full Member of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT)
Previous member oh the British Psychological Society
Membro Efectivo Ordem dos Psicologos Portugueses (OPP)
Profile on Psychology Today
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