Emma Segura Pereira Psychotherapy

04/03/2026

The 5,4,3,2,1 grounding exercise - part 2.

The next time you are feeling anxious why not give this technique a try? It might just help you to come back to the present moment and relieve all the awful physical symptoms that accompany anxiety.

Remember, anxiety is just your brain focusing on what could go wrong, but it has no basis in reality. Turn off the disaster movie and take control - you have more control here than you think you do.

If you give this a go I'd love to hear how it went for you and if you have another grounding technique that works well, tell me about it in the comments.

You're not alone 🫶🏼

Emma

Psychotherapy for expats in and around the Lisbon area and online for anyone living elsewhere.

04/03/2026

When anxiety becomes too much, this simple grounding technique might just help.

Let's talk about anxiety.

We all get anxious from time to time and that's perfectly normal. Sometimes though, it might feel like your anxiety is becoming overwhelming. Your heart might start racing, you might feel shaky or sick and you can't think straight.

When this happens we need to bring our mind back to the here and now and away from hypothetical catastrophic what ifs (what if I fail, what if the plane crashes).

Because anxiety is like watching a disaster movie in your mind and we need to switch it off and react to what is actually happening right now, not what our brain is telling us might happen (which is usually the worst case scanario).

Watch part 2 of the video to learn the 5,4,3,2,1 grounding technique and if you feel you need more support in managing anxiety then please reach out.

You're not alone 🫶🏼

Emma

Psychotherapy for expats in and around the Lisbon area and online for anyone living elsewhere.

01/03/2026

Have you achieved your New Year's Resolutions?

If the answer is no, then that is no surprise, because winter, cold, dark and grey as it is, isn't really the time for change.

Spring, is the time for change. As the weather gets better, it's natural to start thinking about how we can make improvements in our lives.

We all have challenges in life that we strive to overcome and sometimes we need help with these challenges.

We might be dealing with anxiety, stress or feeling down even as the sun starts to shine. Living far from home or even in the place you grew up, problems might seem like a dark cloud over our heads that we can't shake.

Psychotherapy can help you to learn how to better manage responses to problems, and can help you develop coping strategies that you can use in everyday life.

It's not just talking. As a psychotherapist and a teacher, my goal is to help you learn the skills you need to better get through life's ups and downs as well as giving you a safe space to express all your emotions. Using a combination of evidence-based approaches, I will guide you as you learn more about yourself and how you can overcome challenges in life.

If you think psychotherapy might be good for you, or if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Remember, you're not alone 🫶🏼

Emma

Psychotherapy for expats in and around Portugal, and online for anyone living elsewhere.

14/02/2026

Love.

It's all you need, as sang the Beatles. But is it really?

Those first flushes of love in a new relationship can feel exhilarating but when the honeymoon period is over, what do we need to keep a relationship going?
The answer is skills. Just like in any other area of life, we need to have specific skills to make a relationship work. Skills like:

• The ability to communicate. This involves active listening, not just speaking.

• Understanding our partner's love language (and that it might be different to our own).

• Knowing how to express our needs (and not expecting our partner to be able to mind read).

• Understanding how we can meet our partner's needs. The success of a relationship is the extent to which it meets the needs of those involved.

• The ability to argue softly, without yelling or screaming or insulting our partner, because some things are hard to forget.

• Maintaining a sense of self. It's great to be part of a couple but your own self-identity is still crucial.

So, yes, love is necessary but beyond that we need to be skillfull at relationships. We may not have had the best role-models growing up but it's never too late to learn.

If you think therapy could help you improve your relationship skills or if you have any questions, please reach out.

You're not alone 🫶🏼

Emma

Psychotherapy for expats in and around Lisbon, and online for anyone elsewhere.

13/02/2026

Today is self-love day.

What does self-love mean to you?

It could be treating yourself to something nice like a spa or a nice meal, but I believe that self-love is more about how you value yourself. Every life on earth has inherent value, not for what it does but simply for existing.

It's all too common for people to call themselves names that they wouldn't dream of saying to a friend. Imagine you break something by accident and the first thought in your head is, 'I'm so stupid!' What effect will that have on you?

Would you say that to a friend?

Today, try to be aware of how you speak to yourself about yourself. Have the same compassion for yourself as you would for someone you care about and if this is something you struggle with then therapy might be right for you.

In therapy, you can explore all your feelings about yourself, where they come from and learn how to accept yourself for who you are and also make significant changes that will help you to have a better relationship with yourself and others.

It's healthy to love yourself.

You're not alone 🫶🏼

Emma Segura Pereira

Psychotherapy for expats in and and around Lisbon or online for anyone elsewhere.

08/02/2026

05/02/2026

Today is time to talk day (UK). It's about breaking the stigma on mental illness.

Unfortuntely mental illness is still a bit of a taboo even though, according to the WHO, more than a billion people around the world have a mental illness.

Anxiety and depression affect many people and su***de is a leading cause of death for young people.

By talking about mental illness, bringing it into the open we can start to reduce the stigma around it.

I'll go first. I have suffered from depression, anxiety, eating disorders and I have been suicidal at times but I have also been lucky to have found people that I could talk about this with. From therapists to friends, learning that I was not alone helped immensely and now I try to help others.

So, talk to someone about how you or they are feeling because you never know who you might be able to help. And if someone needs to talk to you, listen. Not to respond, but to understand.

Brave the big talk.

https://www.mind.org.uk/get-involved/time-to-talk-day/

And remember, you're not alone 🫶🏼

Emma

Psychotherapy for expats in and around Lisbon.

30/01/2026

Parent Mental Health Day 30th January.

Today is Parent Mental Health Day (UK) and I want to focus on something you might have heard of called ‘Good enough parenting’.

Coined in the 1950’s by developmental paediatrician Donald Winnicott, the idea is that you don’t have to be perfect to raise a happy, healthy child.

The most important thing you can do is model self-love and acceptance so that your child goes into the world understanding that although they are not perfect themselves, they are loved and accepted for who they are.

Here are the key concepts of Good Enough Parenting:

Accept that as a parent, you will make mistakes and that is OK.
Acknowledge your mistakes and repair ruptures. For example, you might be feeling extremely stressed and take it out on your child. When you have had time to calm down, talk to you child.

Apologise and explain that this was your reaction. Kids take things very personally, but if we explain that sometimes adults do things wrong, they’ll learn that it’s also OK for them to make mistakes.

Being emotionally available is the most important aspect of good enough parenting. Your child needs to feel seen, heard and valued and they need to understand that all their emotions, just like yours, are valid. If a child is feeling sad or upset, our first instinct can be to try to make them feel better and help them get over it. But this actually leads to the child learning that that emotion is not acceptable. Instead, allow them to feel their emotions and tell them that it’s ok to feel this way.

Allow your child to experience manageable disappointments and frustrations so they can develop coping skills and independence. We develop self-esteem through observing ourselves being able to overcome difficulties. A parent may wish to protect their child from all difficult situations in life, and this comes from a good place, but it has the opposite effect in that the child learns that they cannot do anything for themselves.

Be willing to acknowledge if you need help as a parent. If shouting or other negative behaviours become excessive, or if you feel like you just can’t cope, reach out and ask for help.

Remember, modelling self-love and acceptance to your child gives them the best chance to be successful in life. You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be good enough.

You're not alone🫶

Emma

Psychotherapy for expats in and around Expats in Lisbon

27/01/2026

We’re delighted to share that our new Segura-Pereira Wellness centre is opening this week in Barreiro (Fidalguinhos)!

At the centre, we offer a range of services designed to support emotional, mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing: Reiki, spiritual therapy, psychotherapy, and massage.

Our approach is professional and holistic. Whether you are looking for clinical support through psychotherapy, gentle energetic work through Reiki, deeper exploration in spiritual therapy, or hands-on relaxation with massage, you’ll find experienced practitioners who are all passionate about their jobs and offer a service that we are proud to put our name next to.

Our centre has also just been remodelled to support this kind of work. The rooms are light, quiet, and carefully organised to create a sense of warmth and safety, with comfortable seating, soft lighting, and simple details that help you settle as soon as you arrive.

If you’re curious about how we can support you, you’re welcome to get in touch, ask questions, or book an initial session to see what feels like the right fit.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

The Segura-Pereira Wellness team

21/01/2026

Never fear, get your smear.

A smear test saved my life about 15 years ago. I was diagnosed with a CIN 3 or stage 0 cancer. Luckily, it was all contained and easily removed with a surgery but had I not had my smear test, my doctor told me, it would have been only a matter of time until these cells started to spread, invading the rest of my body.

I now have to have my smear test once a year without fail and yes, it’s uncomfortable and I always feel like I’m going to fall off the table but my doctor, ( a man for the last 8 years) is so kind and understanding and I never feel embarrassed or afraid. In fact, we often have interesting conversations when I ask him some medical question or another.

In 2009, a famous British celebrity called Jade Goody died from cervical cancer, and directly after there was a temporary surge in smear tests being performed of around 12% (Lancucki et al., 2012). It is highly likely that this increase saved lives. Sadly, the number of women getting their smear tests has gradually declined since then (nhs.uk).

Cancer doesn’t discriminate and cervical cancer is one of the easiest cancers to treat if caught early – I know because I’m still here.

So, ladies, please, never fear, get your smear.



Lancucki L, Sasieni P, Patnick J, Day TJ, Vessey MP. (2012). The impact of Jade Goody's diagnosis and death on the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. J Med Screen. 19(2):89-93. https://doi.org/10.1258/jms.2012.012028

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cervical-screening-annual.


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17/01/2026

17/01/2026

“Homesick in a life you chose. Both can be true.”

Moving to another country is exciting right? The expat lifestyle is all about meeting new people, immersing yourself in a new culture and having fun. And that’s definitely true.

But it can also mean missing people you have left behind, and a longing for simple familiar things, such as your garden or being able to buy a certain product at the supermarket that you just can’t get in your new country.

Both feelings can coexist and are just as valid.

Adapting to your new surroundings takes time and you might even experience other negative emotions such as grief or even guilt for leaving others behind.

As an expat of many years myself, I know first-hand what it’s like to leave my home country and settle somewhere new and sometimes I have felt that I both belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Therapy can help you to explore and express all the emotions you are feeling in a safe non-judgemental space and support you in your new life as you adapt to a new culture and living situation.

Together, we’ll work on developing the tools and resilience you need to help you through this process.
If you think therapy might be right for you, or if you have any questions or doubts about starting therapy, please feel free to reach out.

Remember, you’re not alone 🫶

Emma

Psychotherapy for expats in and around the Lisbon area.

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