Dr. Andreia Santo , HCPC

Dr. Andreia Santo is an HCPC-registered clinical and counselling psychologist practitioner with 16 years of professional experience. She qualified as a psychologist in 2008 after completing a Licenciatura in Psychology of Education and Rehabilitation at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences of Algarve University in Faro, Portugal, a programme the biography describes as academically equivalent to the British Clinical Psychology doctorate.

Early in her career she completed a full-time placement at Projecto Integrado de Intervenção Precoçe in Coimbra, delivering psychological assessment and interventions for children and their parents or carers and contributing to projects that promoted social inclusion and emotional health awareness. She also completed placements in the National Health System at the Health Centre of Faro and in a local council service, building experience across age groups and community settings.

She pursued postgraduate training in Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy accredited by the Portuguese Association of Behavioural Therapy and the European Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies, then moved to the United Kingdom in 2010. In the UK she completed a two-year part-time postgraduate diploma in Family and Systemic Theory at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and has worked in a variety of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) within the NHS, with that NHS work concluding in June 2024.

Dr. Santo is currently focused on an independent research project into Unconditional Love Science and works primarily remotely and in private practice. She brings wide-ranging clinical interests including stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, grief, eating and sleeping difficulties, parenting, ADHD and many more areas. She values the principle of unconditional self-love and aims to help people remember their innate worth and capacity for joy. She maintains clear professional boundaries - she is not available for emergencies, normally does not reply on break days (usually Sunday and Monday), and may be limited in offering appointment times outside those already available on her calendar. Enquiries are welcome, and she looks forward to meeting prospective clients.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Dr. Andreia Santo works from an integrative clinical perspective and commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Attachment-Based Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and develop psychological flexibility - it supports coping with anxiety, stress, and life transitions by teaching practical skills to act in line with values even when difficult thoughts or feelings arise. Attachment-Based Therapy explores how early relational patterns affect current relationships and emotional responses - it is useful for addressing abandonment, attachment issues, intimacy concerns, and relational conflict. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns - it is widely used for anxiety, depression, compulsive behaviours, and many everyday difficulties.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Dr. Santo works with each person to determine which methods best fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and adapts techniques over time as therapy progresses.

Online therapy sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility and accessibility. These options make it easier to fit sessions around work, family, and travel, and allow licensed professionals to deliver care to people in different locations while maintaining therapeutic continuity.