Author name: Piotr Szmyt

Before You Start Is It the Right Time to Start Therapy? Most people wait longer than they need to, often for reasons that don’t hold up once you look at them directly. There’s rarely a clean, obvious signal that it’s “time.” Most people who end up in our office describe a long stretch of almost-deciding […]

Working Across Cultures 5 Things Therapists Get Wrong With International & Expat Clients Most clinical training happens inside one cultural framework. Working well with clients who are living, loving, and grieving across two or three of them takes more than good intentions. Cross-cultural competence isn’t something a therapist either has or doesn’t — it’s closer

Local Resource Guide · Mental Health in Lisbon How to Find a Therapist in Lisbon: A Practical Guide Whether you’re an expat looking for English-speaking support or a resident of Lisbon trying to find the right fit, this guide brings together the practical resources — crisis lines, hospitals, support groups, cost information, and directories —

Therapy Explained · Mindfulness-Based Approaches Mindfulness-Based Therapy: What It Is, How It Works, and Who It Helps Most Mindfulness in a clinical setting is not the same as a wellness-app breathing exercise. Here is what mindfulness-based therapy actually trains, what it’s good evidence for, and where its limits are. What is mindfulness-based therapy? Mindfulness-based therapy

History of ISTDP Habib Davanloo and the International Journal of ISTDP How one psychiatrist’s clinical research in Montreal became a distinct psychotherapy modality — and the journal that gave it a scholarly home. Who was Habib Davanloo? Habib Davanloo (1927–2023) was an Iranian-born, Canadian-trained psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who spent most of his career in Montreal.

Therapy Explained · TFP Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP): What It Is and Who It Helps Most Transference-Focused Psychotherapy is a structured psychodynamic treatment built specifically for intense, unstable relationship patterns and identity difficulties — most rigorously tested for borderline personality organisation. Here is what it actually involves. What is TFP? Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) is a manualised,

Therapy Explained · Psychodynamic Psychodynamic Therapy: What It Is, How It Works, and Who It Helps Most Psychodynamic therapy is one of the oldest and most researched families of talking therapy — and one of the most misunderstood. Here is what it actually involves today, stripped of the couch-and-silence stereotype. What is psychodynamic therapy? Psychodynamic

Therapy Explained · CBT CBT Therapy: What It Is, How It Works, and Who It Helps Most Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is one of the most widely used and extensively studied talking therapies in the world. Here is a clear, honest guide to what it actually involves — and where its strengths and limits lie. What

A new Polish study co-authored by Peter Fonagy shows betrayal trauma affects adult mental health mainly through dissociation and hypomentalizing — and what that means for therapy.

The cultural adjustment curve — a gradual arc from disorientation through adaptation to integration — is one of the most widely cited models in expat psychology.

Dlaczego terapia w ojczystym języku ma znaczenie – bariery językowe w gabinecie psychoterapeuty.

Anxiety: Symptoms, Physical Effects, and How to Manage It Are you struggling with anxiety? You’re not alone. Anxiety affects millions of people worldwide, and it can be a debilitating condition that impacts all aspects of your life — often in ways that aren’t obvious at first. Many people experience real, sometimes alarming physical symptoms for months or years before connecting them to anxiety at all.

Practice News Piotr Szmyt Becomes an IEDTA Member Official recognition following three years of intensive ISTDP training. I am proud to share that I have officially become a member of the International Experiential Dynamic Therapy Association (IEDTA). This membership, following 3 years of intensive training in ISTDP, recognizes my commitment to the highest international standards

Practice News We Proudly Announce Piotr’s Membership in IEDTA A three-year Core Training in ISTDP, completed under the supervision of Josette ten Have-de Labije. At Psychotherapy Lisbon, we highly prioritize continuous professional development. Therefore, we actively participate in various advanced therapeutic training, psychotherapy schools, and specialized courses. We are proud to announce a major achievement:

ISTDP Explained 4 Reasons to Choose ISTDP for Faster Emotional Healing An accelerated, emotion-focused form of psychotherapy designed to help patients rapidly overcome a wide range of psychological and interpersonal problems. Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) is an accelerated, emotion-focused form of psychotherapy designed to help patients rapidly overcome a wide range of psychological and

Getting Started Types of Therapy: Find Your Path to Better Mental Health Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or the unique challenges of being an expat in Lisbon, understanding the various types of treatment can help you feel more confident about starting your journey. 1. Psychodynamic and ISTDP — Understanding the Roots of Your Struggles