10 Best Therapists in Portugal

Portugal’s mental health crisis is deepening, as surveys from Portugal Pulse show that about 32% of Portuguese adults report anxiety symptoms. According to the Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health, 22.9% of the population has experienced a psychiatric disorder, which is the second-highest rate in the EU. 

Many expats living in Portugal also feel this strain. Portugal’s foreign-born population is also increasing, as 14,000 Americans and 46,000 British now live here. They often struggle with culture shock and isolation. 

In this climate, accessible therapy is essential. Read on to discover the 10 best therapists in Portugal, all experienced in treating anxiety and the unique stressors facing expats.

1. Trevor Brown

Trevor Brown is a licensed clinical psychotherapist (MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling), available for people living in Portugal. He even runs The Other Therapy, where he primarily offers online therapy services to individuals and couples living in Portugal and across the globe. 

Trevor’s practice focuses on expats, digital nomads, and “unconventional” lifestyles. As the best expat therapist in Portugal, he guides clients through persistent relational patterns using a blend of somatic insight and culturally sensitive methods. 

Moreover, his approach blends evidence-based methods with a modern understanding of relationships. Clients praise his warm yet direct style, which combines empathy with healthy confrontation to uncover core issues. More importantly, he also has training in Relational Life Therapy with experience in ISTDP therapy.

2. Paula Gasparini-Santos

Paula Gasparini-Santos is a Brazilian-born psychotherapist and expat coach based in Lisbon. She holds advanced training in trauma therapy and depth psychology, serving expats throughout Europe. Having lived in Italy and the USA, she speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese, providing guidance to people struggling with anxiety.

Additionally, Paula’s approach is no-fluff and highly transformational, as she directly confronts limiting beliefs and trauma. Being the best therapist in Portugal, she blends existential techniques to guide people toward authenticity and belonging. 

Paula often helps expats overcome relocation stress and loss of connection by promoting self-acceptance. Outside work, she’s an artist and adventurer, which informs her creative and empowering style.

3. Sylwia Latacz

Since 2021, Sylwia Latacz has been working as a licensed integrative psychologist and psychotherapist in Lisbon. She earned a master’s degree in psychology from Jagiellonian University (Poland) and completed 12 years of additional training in integrative psychotherapy. Sylwia offers both individual and couples therapy. 

As an integrative psychotherapist, Sylwia optimizes each session by combining modalities (CBT, psychodynamic) to fit the client. She helps clients understand and release deeply held emotions through both insight and experiential work.

4. Sara Gomes da Silva

Sara Gomes da Silva is a UK-trained integrative psychotherapist and art therapist practicing in Lisbon. In her private practice, she provides a safe space where clients can explore emotional concerns and restore balance. Sara draws on a wide range of approaches, including humanistic, existential, Gestalt, and Jungian techniques. 

In addition, she is also trained in Byron Katie’s self-inquiry and uses art therapy to help clients tap creativity and deeper insight. Sara’s clients include expats and locals facing anxiety, depression, stress, or trauma.

5. Malitsa Francisco

Being one of the best therapists in Portugal, Malitsa Francisco has a Clinical Psychologist degree and training as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist. Originally from Maputo, she has lived in Lisbon for over 10 years. As an expat herself, Malitsa offers empathetic insight for foreigners adapting to Portugal. 

Moreover, she works with children, teens, and adults, addressing depression, grief, anxiety, and low self-esteem. In sessions, she creates a non-judgmental space where clients can safely express fears, doubts, and joys.

6. Martha Helliesen

Martha Helliesen is a highly experienced Gestalt therapist and sexologist based in Lisbon, offering both in-person and online therapy. With over 25 years of clinical experience, she brings deep insight into emotional and relational issues. Helliesen works with adults and couples to address anxiety, depression, burnout, grief, and loneliness using a Gestalt approach.

On the sexual-health front, she helps clients navigate intimacy challenges and sexual trauma. As an expat herself, this best therapist in Portugal understands the difficulties of adapting to a new culture.

7. Inês Ribeiro

Inês Ribeiro is a licensed clinical psychologist and hypnotherapist based in Agualva (Lisbon region). She has over 10 years of private practice experience with individuals, couples, and families. Inês works fluently in Portuguese and English, providing services for anger, anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, and attachment issues. 

Furthermore, she uses hypnotherapy (for habit change and symptom relief), somatic exercises, and an integrative psychoanalytic approach. Inês collaborates with clients who are highly motivated to change and encourages active engagement both in and out of sessions. 

8. Cláudia Caires

As the best psychologist in Portugal, Cláudia Caires serves as the founder of Out of Mind clinic in Lisbon. She earned a Master’s in Psychotherapy and Cognitive Rehabilitation (Universidade Lusófona), with specialized training in crisis intervention and psychotraumatology. Plus, her career includes helping survivors of trauma, including violence and alcohol dependence. 

Moreover, her areas of expertise include PTSD, infertility stress, borderline personality, and eating disorders. Cláudia works with adolescents through the elderly, as she is known for her compassionate yet determined stance.

9. Piotr Szmyt

Piotr Szmyt works as a psychotherapist in Lisbon, offering an integrative ISTDP approach. He specializes in working with depression, anxiety, trauma, and relationship issues. Piotr’s academic background includes extensive training in psychodynamic therapy and intensive short-term dynamic therapy (ISTDP). His method combines a deep psychodynamic perspective with a strong focus on the body and emotions. 

In sessions, he balances empathy with appropriate challenge, using direct confrontation to help clients break through defenses. Moreover, he helps clients uncover unconscious patterns in the here-and-now relationship (both with him and in their lives) to understand how past schemas drive current struggles. 

10. Enikö Hajas

Enikö Hajas is a psychotherapist originally from Hungary, specializing in expat therapy in Lisbon. Growing up in a diplomatic family, she lived in Vietnam, Italy, the Netherlands, and Portugal, giving her deep insight into cross-cultural challenges. Enikö first earned a Master’s in Economics and worked in business consulting, then trained in Integrative Psychotherapy. 

She uses techniques like CBT, NLP, Transactional Analysis, and mindfulness to support clients’ inner resources. Her therapy is usually short-term (5 to 15 sessions), focusing on clients’ existing strengths and potentials. 

Conclusion

In summary, Portugal’s mental health needs are urgent, and the best therapists profiled above offer a wide range of expertise. Among these, Trevor Brown (founder of The Other Therapy) and his colleague Paula Gasparini-Santos stand out for their expat-focused work. Trevor brings advanced training in couples therapy, while Paula offers a direct style perfected through working with expats and trauma.