My journey started in Portugal, where I completed an MSc in psychology and began my career in neuroscience, with a focus on the brain mechanisms of emotional processing. After working as a researcher, I was awarded a grant to conduct a PhD project studying the trajectories of emotional face processing from infancy to adulthood. This project took me to London, where I joined University College London in 2019 and later the Anna Freud Centre in 2021. In these institutions, I fulfilled my passion for teaching and mentoring. I continue to work in these institutions as a researcher and lecturer in the field of developmental neuroscience, child psychology, mental health, and play and videogaming. Get to know more about my teaching and my research experience.

To channel my experience and heartfelt commitment into hands-on work with children and families, I started training as a Play Therapist (Play Therapy UK, Academy for Play and Child Psychotherapy) in 2024. I am currently conducting therapeutic play in a Primary School in North London using an integrative and holistic approach. For more information on my work in therapeutic play, see here.