About my approach
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I change.”
CARL ROGERS
About
Rita Cotrim
I'm a BACP-accredited practitioner, grounded in a background in Clinical Psychology (ISPA) and an MA in Integrative Arts Psychotherapy - a rigorous training that asked a great deal of its graduates, preparing us to work safely and sensitively with trauma. I draw on several models - Gestalt, Psychodynamic, TA, Parts-work (IFS), and Jungian approaches - so I can adapt to your unique style and what you are bringing to each session, and what you may need that day.
I'm deeply relational — I believe how we relate to others and ourselves today is often shaped by our earliest relationships, and these patterns often show up right here in the therapy room, giving us live material to explore together. I also work holistically — we often weave talk therapy with somatic intelligence and creativity, facilitating different outlets of expression to process thoughts and feelings and make sense of your world at different levels of being, at your own pace and choice.
I also recognise that many of the challenges we carry didn't start with us but are systemic and historical — they may have been passed down relationally, culturally, or emotionally through generations before us, through our family and wider environment. Understanding this can be deeply freeing, and often opens the door to breaking cycles rather than repeating them.
Integrative Counselling & Psychoterapy using the Arts
3 things I celebrate in my practice
01
Diversity
This isn’t a neuro-normative practice. I welcome and am fascinated by people of all genders and cultures. Many of my clients are men, and some define themselves as Queer. Human beings are mosaics of intersectional identities, in multitudes of inner parts and contradictions.
02
Multi-culturality & Inclusion
As a bilingual practitioner, I warmly welcome expats and immigrants, offering sessions in English, Portuguese, or Spanish. I have a deep clinical understanding of the immigrant wound, specializing in themes of belonging, cross-cultural transition and finding ‘home’.
03
Unconscious, Creativity, Intergenerational
As you must have seen so far I’m a strong believer that our thoughts and actions are deeply influenced by unknown aspects of the psyche, context and intergenerational trauma.
working
with
expressive
arts
“Creativity is like Freedom: Once you taste it, you cannot live without it. It is a transformative force enhancing Self-esteem & Self-empowerment.”
Each session begins wherever you are — a moment to check in and notice what's present in you and your life. If it makes sense I may invite you for an experiment with other forms of expression - looking at images, sandtray, writing, a movement, a sound, a visualization, noticing breathing, alongside simply talking — never forced or as a test of skill , but as a way to reach what’s beyond words and the mind’s rationality or we may continue simply talking. You're never required to make anything "good". Sometimes we follow a gentle prompt, sometimes we let the material lead us somewhere unplanned, and I stay present with you throughout — witnessing, holding space, and asking only what serves you, at your own pace.
When something emerges, we turn toward it together to explore what it might be telling you. We then weave this back into the broader story of our work together, noticing patterns and insights as they arise, before grounding back into the present moment to close. This isn't about judging outcomes — it's a way of listening and witnessing beyond thoughts and words. Some sessions lean more into talking, others into creating; some weave both, following whatever you need that day.
The ethos
Whether we are working through trauma, anxiety, depression, or a sense of disconnection, my goal is to facilitate a return to your True Self, honoring the multitudes within your being. In this intersectional and neurodiverse space, we work at your own pace to root your life in sovereignty, centered presence, and authentic expression.
Sovereign Freedom
The Deep Self
Navigating trauma and psychological challenges at your own pace. Intertwining somatic wisdom, unconscious exploration, and relational depth according to the client’s choice.
Intertwining talking therapy with somatic creative processes to move beyond the constrains of the rational mind as a bridge to the true self and unity of being.
Trust
Belonging
Respecting an intersectional mosaic of diverse identities and lived experiences, where every history is seen within its context and intergenerational patterns.
A BACP-accredited trauma informed practice of clinical integrity, providing a safe boundaried container necessary for deep transformation.