Dealing myself with autoimmune disorders, I've never seen mental health exclusively through the lenses of Psychology or Psychiatry. When your physical body struggles with lack of hydration, poor quality food, environmental toxins, legal drug overuse, little to no body movement along the day, hormone imbalances and lack of vitamin, you can have a counseling session every day but... guess what? The mental struggles won't go away!

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Mind and body are interrelated, and, as a Psychotherapist, I would ask my clients about their physical health before assuming anxiety or depression as labels. 

 

Currently navigating a "newly" diagnosed chronic disease, I've been paying attention to the way so many people (including practitioners) have been dealing with chronic disease warriors: "oh, dear, it's all in your head". Even those who were supposed to understand the complexity of the disease (and its impact on our physical, social, financial and emotional health), not always tolerate the ups and downs it might bring.

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Chronic disease is not a "psychosomatic condition" — even though a flare-up might arise when unresolved emotions or chronic stress turns into a physical disfunction. However, going through the physical difficulties without paying attention to the message behind the symptoms can be a waste of opportunity to gain awareness! Sometimes, people go through surgery and remove inner parts that were communicating something... the messenger is removed but the message wasn't integrated... so another surgery is scheduled, another organ is removed, another symptom shows up... 

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When you have the chance to integrate body, mind AND soul in the healing journey, real healing happens. I've always believed that healing is a life journey, and that each one must take responsibility to sit at the PILOT seat. Co-pilots (meaning: any practitioner) can seat next to you for a certain period of time, but healing thyself is an in-transferrable power. Let's not waste this chance. 

 

When you move countries, everything inside you must be reconfigured. And I'm at this point that I feel called to share my "tool kit" with those seeking more than just physical answers when it comes to dealing with the suffering brought by any chronic illness. For those who have no one to dig deeper into such issues, I'm offering my professional background, my personal experience and a heart-centered approach to mindfully HEAR you! Yes, that's right! It's not a counseling session, it's not a clinical practice, it's just an online coffee with me, where we'll create space to encourage you to explore the inner parts that want to emerge, so that you can expand your healing options (including Bach Flower Remedies and Mindfulness). 

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My goal is to spread the word (both in English and Portuguese) and help increase awareness when it comes to dealing chronic diseases. Take a look at my BLOG (English articles available) and see if any of the issues I explore resonates with you.