My story
and journey
The baby girl born on 20 January 1985 in Santo Tirso. A good student, a bit of a tomboy, and keen on sport. I studied Arts at secondary school and, in 2003, began my degree in Architecture at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto.
Looking back, I realise it was an epic period of my adolescence — but, having successfully completed two years, I realised I didn’t want to go on to the third. I moved on in search of a different meaning to life.
In 2005, I began the Integrated Master’s Degree in Psychology at the University of Porto and in 2010 I qualified as a psychologist. Over the following four years, I completed my PhD, funded by the FCT, which included a semester at Vanderbilt University (USA), as well as dozens of workshops and visits to renowned international institutions.
In 2014, I obtained my PhD in Psychology from the University of Porto. This was followed by a further four-year postdoctoral period, in collaboration with the University of Oxford. During this time, I became a full member of the Portuguese Psychologists’ Association (CP 18717), specialising in Educational Psychology.
Finally, in 2018, through my own efforts, I secured the position of Assistant Lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at the University of Porto.
I have spent 20 years dedicated to the study of psychology, based in academia. I began by teaching Psychology of Learning and Statistics. I ended up teaching Cognitive-Behavioural Models and Sports Psychology — a course I created myself.
Throughout my teaching career, I have remained dedicated to continuous learning: I completed a postgraduate degree in Sports Psychology, underwent training in Emotion-Focused Therapy, and am currently completing a specialization in Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy.
In addition to my involvement in 10 national and international research projects, I served as the coordinator of a mindfulness project, which received €250,000 in funding. I was responsible for supervising dozens of students, including over 30 undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations and four funded PhD projects. Linking science and practice, I also coordinated several community projects with a direct impact on over 2,000 people.
All of this has resulted in an outstanding scientific output – with over 70 publications and more than 120 scientific presentations (including 20 by invitation) – recently recognised globally through my inclusion in the World’s Top 2% Scientists list.
Some might say I had it all. I know that what was missing was for that ‘everything’ to align with my values. I changed, once again, in search of a new meaning in life.
This journey has given me a solid scientific foundation and a comprehensive understanding of psychology—as a science, a profession, and a tool for individual and social transformation.
Today, I remain committed to rigour and real impact, putting my knowledge at the service of those seeking change with awareness, strategy and confidence. Just like me — in search of a new meaning in life.
