My Training


I qualified as a Medical Doctor in Brazil in 1985. However, soon after beginning my career as a doctor, I realised that most of my job satisfaction came from helping people gain understanding about their life history, making sense of the "story of their lives" and as a result, gain relief from their emotional pain. That led me to specialise in Psychiatry, with particular interest in Psychotherapy. I concluded my specialist training in Psychiatry and in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy in 1990.  

In 1991 I was invited to work at the Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, adapting  Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for cancer patients suffering from anxiety and depression following their diagnosis. I have lived in London since then. 

In 1993 I was granted my  Full Medical Registration with the General Medical Council (GMC, UK).

 In 1998 I became a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK.

My interest in human development, attachment and the emotional importance of the first years in a child's life as well as the negative effects of exposure to trauma, abuse and neglect in childhood has lead me to specialise in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. I became a Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the UK in 2003. 

Psychotherapy and the alleviation of human suffering through psychological or emotional work has continued to be my main interest. In 2000 I came across EMDR Therapy, which is underpinned by  a theoretical model that makes sense to me and that results in impressive results for my clients. I became an EMDR Approved Practitioner in 2005 and in 2011 qualified as an EMDR Europe Approved Consultant and Clinical Supervisor. 

Work with complex presentations and particularly with adult survivors of childhood neglect and abuse continues to pose a challenge to professionals working in this field. This work has motivated me to continue learning new interventions that I incorporated into my practice. I have therefore trained further in:

  • Mentalization-Based Therapy in 2012.
  • Brainspotting Therapy in 2012.
  • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in 2013.