Author name: Sylwia Latacz

Relationship Patterns Recognizing Narcissistic Patterns in a Relationship — and What Actually Helps You can’t diagnose a partner from the outside. But you can learn to recognize a pattern, and understand what keeps you in it. “Narcissist” has become one of the most searched, and most misused, words in relationship language. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is […]

Choosing How to Get Support Therapy Apps Like BetterHelp vs. a Local Therapist in Lisbon Apps lowered the barrier to entry for millions of people, and that’s a genuine good. Here’s what actually differs if you’re choosing between one and an independent local practice. Platforms like BetterHelp made starting therapy faster and less intimidating for

Therapy Explained · Internal Family Systems Internal Family Systems (IFS): What It Is, How It Works, and Who It Helps Most IFS starts from the idea that the mind is naturally made up of different “parts” — and that all of them, even the difficult ones, are trying to help. Here is what that looks

Therapy Explained · Somatic Experiencing Somatic Experiencing: What It Is, How It Works, and Who It Helps Most Somatic Experiencing works with the body first, not only the story. Here is what a session actually involves, what the research says, and who tends to benefit. What is Somatic Experiencing? Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-based

Relationship Patterns Explained Gaslighting, Love Bombing & Other Modern Relationship Terms Six terms that spread quickly online for describing painful relationship patterns — what they actually mean, and where the line between “toxic behavior” and a genuine clinical picture actually sits. Over the last decade, a cluster of terms describing painful relationship dynamics has moved

Book Review “Hold Me Tight” by Sue Johnson — A Therapist’s Review What the book teaches, who it helps, and whether a book can replace couples therapy. Few relationship books get recommended by therapists as often as Hold Me Tight by the late Dr Sue Johnson. As practitioners who use the approach it’s based on,

Attachment Styles · Explained Avoidant Attachment: What It Is, Where It Comes From, and How Therapy Helps If closeness makes you want to pull away — if you value independence so highly that intimacy starts to feel like pressure — you may recognize yourself in what researchers call an avoidant attachment style. Here’s what the

Relationship Patterns Therapy for Trauma Bonding: Breaking the Cycle What a trauma bond is, why it’s so hard to leave, and how therapy helps you heal. If you are in immediate danger, your safety comes first. In Portugal you can call 112 (emergency) or contact APAV, the Portuguese Association for Victim Support: free, confidential Victim

Couples & Relationship Basics What Is Relationship Therapy? A Complete Guide What relationship therapy is, how it differs from couples counselling, what happens in sessions, and who it helps. “Relationship therapy” sounds self-explanatory until you try to define it. This guide explains what it actually involves, how it differs from couples counseling and marriage counseling,

Therapy Explained · EFT Emotionally Focused Therapy vs. Emotional Freedom Technique: Same Acronym, Different Things If you searched for “EFT therapy Lisbon,” you may be looking for one of two very different things. Both are called EFT — but beyond the initials, they have almost nothing in common. What is Emotionally Focused Therapy? What is

Relocation is often described as a shared adventure. In practice, it is frequently an asymmetric experience — one that surfaces existing tensions in a relationship, creates new ones, and does so in a context where the usual support structures are unavailable.

Online Couples Therapy for Long-Distance and Expat Relationships: Does It Actually Work? Relationships are hard enough when you’re in the same city, sharing the same routines, and dealing with the same day-to-day stressors. Add in a relocation, a long-distance stretch, different time zones, or one partner adjusting to a new country while the other keeps working their usual job …

Frequently Asked Questions Questions and Answers Common questions about starting personality-focused psychotherapy in Lisbon. How can I find an English-speaking therapist in Lisbon for personality-focused work? Finding the right support in a foreign city is crucial. In Lisbon, I provide specialized psychotherapy in English for the expat community, focusing on deep-rooted personality patterns and character

Building Emotional Skills Emotional Fitness: Training for Your Mind Inspired by the work of Dr. Emily Anhalt — seven “muscles” worth training as deliberately as you’d train your body. At first, this term might seem amusing — just another addition to the so-called “mental health industry.” However, after a moment, we can see that the

Individual Therapy Do I Have Low Self-Esteem? Self-esteem isn’t the surface-level self-image popular culture describes — it’s about the relationship we have with our own emotional life. Self-esteem is not what popular culture tells us it is. We are told that self-esteem is a positive perspective on who we are, how we look, move speak,

Practice News Sylwia Latacz Becomes an OPP Member Officially registered with the Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses, No. 31224. We are pleased to announce that Sylwia Latacz has officially become a registered member of the Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses (OPP). Registration number: 31224 At Psychotherapy Lisbon, we are committed to providing the highest standards of professional