Piotr Szmyt

My focus in therapy is on changing here-and-now patterns between patient and therapist. This will make you see how we relate to each other and how this reflects your relational experience in your life and how you can change it. In the long term, you will better understand your past schemas and give meaning to unexpected reactions and symptoms. We will explore your bodily responses in search of possibly buried or protected emotions (anger, fear, joy, sadness). Sometimes your anxiety will help us to rediscover emotions, thoughts, desires, and longings that were securely locked under a tension of anxious, constricted body and mind causing symptoms ranging from minor distractions, and obsessive thoughts to bodily tensions, pains, and tiredness.

I run a private practice in Lisbon and in Sintra since 2018. I work with individuals and couples. For years, I have been supporting individuals and couples in finding their path to better mental health and more fulfilling relationships. Running my own private practice and collaborating with a team of psychotherapists, both in Lisbon and online, has allowed me to develop a broad range of skills in both client-facing work and clinical teamwork. With 8 years of experience supporting adults and couples, I have conducted over 3,500 hours of clinical sessions. My practice is supported by hundreds of hours of supervision and intervision with other therapists, ensuring a deep and precise understanding of the complex challenges faced by the individuals and couples I work with. I also deliver training sessions on interpersonal communication, assertiveness, and social skills, fostering both mental well-being and personal growth.

My approach in psychotherapy combines a psychodynamic perspective with a more body-focused intense short dynamic therapy (ISTDP). My approach integrates deep empathy and active listening with a structured, proactive method for confronting unhealthy patterns. My training in two distinct schools allowed me to bridge these worlds—one provided the tools for profound emotional connection, while the other equipped me with the precision to empower the client’s healthy self and challenge dysfunctional habits. I'm a certified ISTDP therapist. I studied Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy in Berlin with a world renowned teacher Josette ten Have-de Labije (3 years training). Through this psychotherapy training, I have learned to apply psychodynamic and CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy) tools, as well as couples therapy, using a structured and precise approach. I studied psychodynamic psychotherapy for 4 years in Portugal. This experience provided me with deep insights into human psychology, attachment theory, and the complex relational issues encountered by a broad spectrum of patients. I have been continuously enhancing my skills training with master teachers including: Gabot Mate, Jon Frederickson, Dr. Patricia Coughlin, Otto Kernberg, Perer Levin and Allan Abbas. I have undergone two years of intensive training focused on interpersonal dynamics and group facilitation. I facilitate group workshops on interpersonal communication, assertiveness, and social skills.