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therapeutic approach

Somatic Therapy

Through the body

the way in is physical sensation, not analysis of what happened.

Through the body

the way in is physical sensation, not analysis of what happened.

  • Confidential
  • Accepts insurance
  • Registered psychologists
  • ERS certified

What is it?

Somatic therapy starts from the observation that stress and trauma register in the body, as tension, shortened breath, states of alert that will not switch off. Rather than treating that as a consequence to be explained, it uses physical sensation as the way in: noticing, following, and letting the nervous system complete responses that were interrupted.

Who it is for

Trauma, anxiety with a strong physical component, chronic tension, and difficulties where a person understands everything rationally and still feels the same. Also for those who struggle to put what is happening into words, and for anyone who has tried purely verbal approaches without result.

What a session looks like

There is less talking and more noticing. You are asked to attend to what you feel in the body, slowly, with pauses. There is no touch and no physical exercise: the work is guided attention, and it stops whenever it becomes too much, because moving fast on this ground is counterproductive. Online therapy in English, by video call, with an English-speaking therapist: for people in Portugal and for expats, wherever you live in Europe.

available approaches

Approaches we work with

This approach is not yet available at the clinic

You can explore the approaches we work with or book a first consultation. We will help you choose the support that best fits what brings you.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Works on the link between thoughts, emotions and behaviour, with defined goals and tasks between sessions.

EMDR

Works on difficult memories with bilateral stimulation, without requiring you to recount everything in detail.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Changes your relationship with difficult thoughts and feelings, so they stop deciding what you do.

Mindfulness

Trains attention to the present moment, inside therapy and with a defined clinical purpose.

Person-Centred Therapy

A space without judgement, led by you, where the relationship is the main instrument.

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Looks for the pattern behind the symptom, and the history that formed it.

Systemic Therapy

Works on relationships and the patterns between people, rather than looking for someone to blame.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

A short process focused on building the solution rather than analysing the problem.

Narrative Therapy

Works on the story we tell about ourselves, and separates the person from the problem.

Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)

Treats emotion as information to work with, not a symptom to reduce.

quick booking

Book your appointment

What brings you here?
AI Assistant

Talk to Sofia

Describe how you feel, in your own words. Sofia takes care of the rest. No forms and no forced choices.

accepted insurers

Médis · Multicare · AdvanceCare · Fidelidade · Ageas · AXA · Allianz · Medicare · and others

The invoice for each consultation can be submitted to your health insurer for reimbursement, according to your plan. What you say in your sessions is confidential and never reaches the insurer.

faq

No. The work here is attention to sensation, guided with words, and there is no physical contact. It is a frequent question and the answer is always this.

No. There is no belief attached. What is asked is a willingness to notice what you feel, which is a capacity rather than a conviction, and which improves with practice like any other.

It does, because the work is attention rather than contact. People who arrive highly activated start with a longer preparation, and that is assessed with you in the first session.

No. You can book directly on our website or with Sofia, our virtual assistant, without any referral from your GP.

Online only for now, while our clinic in Cascais is being refurbished. We reopen in December, and in-person sessions return with it.

MB Way, Multibanco, debit or credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Revolut Pay. You can also pay at the clinic itself, in cash or by card, leaving a card on file as a guarantee for the booking. Any credit on your account is applied automatically to your next session.

We have no direct billing agreement with insurers, but we work on a reimbursement basis with the main Portuguese insurers and with ADSE. The invoice for each consultation can be submitted for reimbursement, according to your plan.

Yes. The discount applies automatically, with no sign-ups and no cards: from 5 sessions on you always have a discount, up to 20%.

Yes, at no cost. Up to 24 hours before, you can cancel and choose between a full refund or keeping the amount as credit, valid for 90 days. You can also reschedule to any time, with the same or another professional. Between 24 and 3 hours before, it can no longer be cancelled, but you can still reschedule with the same professional. With less than 3 hours to go, the session can no longer be changed. All of this is done in your client area or through the link in the confirmation email.

Yes, for online sessions too. After the session, ask the clinic team for it by chat, email or WhatsApp. The certificate is available in your client area and states only the day, the time and that it was a psychology session, without mentioning the reason. It has a code that lets your employer confirm it is genuine at suaclinica.pt/verificar.

Yes. All data is processed in accordance with GDPR and the professional confidentiality psychologists are bound by. Our data protection policy explains what we collect, what it is for and how you can exercise your rights.

Have another question?

Ask your question and get an answer here, from the clinic's own information.

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Your mental health deserves the best care

Booking and paying for your session takes under 3 minutes, all online.