I have a general psychoanalytically-oriented practice, working with children and adults from diverse cultural backgrounds and a wide variety of concerns. I see patients both in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. I am bilingual and work with people either in English or Portuguese, and I specialize in parenting issues, early childhood difficulties, creative blocks and acculturation struggles.
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis involves an in depth-exploration of your mind, leading to a gradual expansion of your ability to make sense and deal with painful emotional experience. In a broader way, this means that in our work together, we will collaborate to learn more about underlying meanings that impact your daily interactions and emotional experience. In addition, I also consider our relationship to be a very precious vehicle both of communication and transformation, and I value the ways in which our interaction may reveal new and before unknown aspects of your emotional life.
Psychoanalysis also increases your capacity for healthy life choices, including more fulfilling intimate, peer and work relationships, as well as professional and family life. Yes, it works in making profound lasting changes. In order for you to benefit from it, regularity and continuity of sessions is required, and I ask people to meet as frequently as possible if they decide to enter in an analysis. The increased frequency, usually between 3-5 times a week, allow us to engage with aspects of your experience that are away from your awareness, amplifying your understanding of your struggles and of the ways in which your emotional state and your behaviors interact and impact each other. How does this process change your behaviors and feelings? Behavior and feelings are manifestations of inner emotional states that are many times out of our immediate awareness. This gradual, ongoing and careful attentiveness to your most secret and previously unknown emotional states deeply changes the way in which they manifest through your behaviors. In sum, it means that as you inner world change, you will notice the way you interact in the world is fundamentally affected.
Beyond that, I bring into my work my experience as a bi-cultural and bilingual therapist, and in our sessions we will be able to validate and recognize different aspects of your cultural identity and explore how those get manifested in your relationships. My passion for creative writing and artistic expression also influences my thinking, leading to my incorporating in our work the exploration of varied forms of language, such as dreams, metaphors and non-verbal communication.
Many people find that working more frequently significantly increases the potential for change and movement, even though it sounds like quite an investment of time and money (and it is). The end results are usually life changing. I would be glad to talk to you further about it, and discuss if that would be the best option for you.
psychotherapy
Psychoanalysis actually informs my work as a psychotherapist as well. Psychoanalytic-informed psychotherapy is an in-depth process that leads to increased awareness, broader integration, emotional regulation and enduring change and transformation. My approach to psychotherapy thus integrates psychoanalytic ideas, creativity, cultural sensitivity and mutual collaboration. In psychotherapy, we would meet less frequently, between 1-2 times per week. This difference in frequency actually means a difference in the quality of your treatment, as you would feel more compelled to focus on updating me on daily interactions, creating a more distanced experience of the depths of you mind. Some people think that increased number of sessions is concurrent with severity of mental issues, which I believe is a misconception. The choice for more or less frequent treatment involves deciding on what expectations you have about the kinds of treatment you are looking for, your emotional needs at the moment when you seek help, and the quality and deepness you are looking for in your psychoanalytic/psychotherapeutic endeavor. Regardless of what we decide fits best with your needs, you would still be getting from me the same attention, listening and curiosity that a psychoanalyst brings into any psychotherapeutic encounter.
Consultation and supervision
Psychotherapists are constantly faced with complex clinical situations. Those may lead to impasses and yet are unique opportunities for personal and professional growth. I have been involved in clinicians’ professional development for more than 20 years, and have special interest in helping professionals traverse difficult clinical experiences as well as its impact on their professional identity.
In our consultation work, we will discuss and process intellectual and emotional challenges that you may encounter in your clinical work. I focus on developing your cultural sensitivity and building your self-confidence, self-reflection and creativity as well as trusting your own voice, clinical judgement and strengths. My approach is contemporary psychoanalytic, mostly based on British Middle School traditions and Field Theory.
I also enjoy helping professionals navigate the transition into parenthood and the impact that this transition have on their professional identity and clinical work, including how to manage the challenges of professional and personal life after children. Therefore, beyond offering consultations for child and adult therapists, I provide consultation for expecting therapists.
Currently, beyond individual consultation, I also offer ongoing consultation groups. Those groups meet weekly, and involves group discussion, individual case presentations and relevant readings.
Please, call me for more information on how you can benefit from consultation.
Workshops
Attuned Parenting
These interactive workshops are designed to engage parents in thoughtful and effective parenting.
During these parenting workshops, we will talk about different transitions, developmental milestones and challenges that you may face while raising your child. In a supportive environment, we will be able to explore together and reflect on our children's relationships. Our meetings will increase awareness on ways in which you may be able to facilitate cooperation and positive interaction while navigating difficult moments successfully. Collectively we will try to help you find tools that best fit your family.
I run workshops on different topics throughout the year, including:
handling meltdowns and limit-setting
conflict resolution
supporting meaningful sibling relationships
raising resilient children
improving communication with your child
transition to preschool and kindergarten.
NEW BEGINNINGS: UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT AND EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES OF YOUR IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA
Immigrants often feel alienated, disconnected, and discriminated against when trying to adjust to American culture, which may lead to emotional distress. This workshop will help you identify the effects of immigration, discuss openly your questions and concerns and connect with other immigrants who may be dealing with similar issues. Topics discussed include:
the immigration process;
'fitting in' versus 'not belonging';
how to be yourself in a different environment;
daily struggles: differences and discrimination;
how to understand your new cultural identity;
making sense of your emotional distress.
The workshops are conducted in small groups (4-6 participants) and meet for one-and-a-half hours in Rockridge. Members make a four-week commitment which can be renewed for up to eight weeks. Pre-registration is required (some sliding scale spots available at times). Please, contact me for more information.