Paola Villanueva
Art Therapist & Somatic Counsellor
I specialise in:
About me
Hi, I’m Paola Villanueva, a certified relational art therapist and a member of the European Federation of Art therapy. Currently I am training in Somatic Experiencing, a science based approached developed by Dr. Peter Lavine, that uses interoception -that is the capacity to feel what is happening inside of you- to renegotiate trauma. I am Mexican and have been living in Lisbon for the last 5 years. I work in Spanish, English and Portuguese (a lot of times in “Portunhol”).
I have always been curious about the diversity of ways in which we all live our lives, the different responses we use to deal with life’s challenges and the patterns we repeat, even the ones we know won’t do us any good. This curiosity is what led me to become a therapist – and to move countries a lot-, as an attempt to understand humanness, relationships, culture, life.
In sessions my primary goal is to create a safe space for each patient, where there is clarity, and curiosity prevails over judgment. A clear therapeutic space allows for freedom to show yourself more wholly.
I believe that we transmit our inner world not only through words, but also through movement and stillness, gestures or poker faces, volumes or silence, tones, attitudes, etc. So, during the sessions I like to be attentive to all these cues from your body, voice and presence, because all of them are manifestations of what you are sensing and feeling in the moment. The more you familiarise with them, the more you can care for yourself.
For me therapy is fulfilling and enjoyable. I am not going to lie, there are times when there are tears, rage, sadness; but there is laughter, “aha!” moments, tenderness and congratulatory occasions too. It is an opportunity to contact with your inside world and discover what makes you feel good or bad, notice how you find out what feels safe for you and regain the agency over your life and choices.
I speak:
Location:
Approach
I believe that transparency is kindness and only in a kind environment we feel safe enough to truly show ourselves. That is why it is very important for me that you know that you are in control and that in no way I will force you to do things you don’t want to do. My job is not to push but to follow you in your journey, letting you know what I notice along the way so that you can see any possible blind spot, holding your hand when the road gets though and reminding you of the tools you already have or giving you new ones.
Each session is co-created with you, allowing you to actively participate in your own wellbeing and also to take responsibility of the steps you take towards your own goals. I propose to have a free 30-minute call to start, so that we can get to know each other a little bit. This allows me to listen to your needs and you to have a sense of who I am.
My work focuses in trauma renegotiation, attachment issues, life transitions and rigid believes or behavioural patterns that dysregulate the nervous system creating anxiety, insomnia, muscle tension and other physical symptoms.
During a session, whether you choose art therapy or Somatic Experiencing, there will be time to talk and time to observe what is happening to you in the moment. Bodily sensations are a way to understand what is safe and pleasurable for us and what is not. This is the language of the nervous system, which is programmed to take care of you but that sometimes we put aside in favour of our more rational brain. Bridging body and brain allows you to get access to all of you, not only your rational part, recovering a sense of capacity and ability to deal with day-to-day life.
Feel free to contact me if you want to know more about the way I work so that you can evaluate if I am the right therapist for you.
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