We are still taking our first steps towards normality after almost two years since the first lockdown, precipitated by the pandemic context. As we rebuild our social relationships and reevaluate the people that matter most to us, from closest friends to family members, we are gradually overcoming the background of social isolation. However, after long months of isolation and with the reality of long-distance relationships installed, whether at work, school, or in personal lif

In the northern hemisphere, we find ourselves in winter with all its beauty and peculiarities. In the southern hemisphere, however, the beginning of the new year comes with lots of sun, light, and heat. For this reason, it is also the preferred time for many expats to travel to warmer places and for Brazilians to visit their homeland. It's not just a perception: a combination of factors makes the body and mind healthier and more balanced and makes the hot season the most cele

Suffering is part of life. That being said, there are individual situations and predispositions that can make this suffering unbearable or very difficult to manage. And then some mental disturbance may even arise as the organism's adaptive response (as a connected whole mind-body) to trying to deal with it. This response, intended to protect the person, tends to prolong suffering in the long run and becomes dysfunctional. Many people, even under severe symptoms of intense psy

3, 2, 1, HAPPY NEW YEAR! How many of you have heard or said this phrase in the last week? - "New year, new life!" . And how many of you have asked or answered the question: - "What are your resolutions for this new year?" It is natural that this period when another year ends and a new one begins, we are driven to set new personal goals and challenges. And as we open the bottle of champagne and count down to the arrival of the new year, we mentally start listing our goals for

In Brazil, New Year's traditions vary according to religion and region. But regardless of these two factors, for everyone the New Year happens at the height of summer. I grew up in São Paulo in a less religious family. My memories of New Year's Eve are all on the beach: the seconds count towards the new year happening with our feet in the sand, while everyone around us dresses in white and enjoys those minutes of pure hope for the year to come. When midnight passed, we greete

December arrives and with it the Christmas holidays. In many cultures, December and January represent festivities, restart and new opportunities. So many families traditionally get together, exchange gifts, and have meals together, mainly celebrating Christmas. For many immigrants these family memories bring encouragement, but at the same time living in another country, often alone, makes Christmas a difficult time. Spending Christmas away from home is a unique experience. Th

Although single-parent families are very common, they face challenges that families with both parent figures tend to be unaware of. In this article, we are going to cover some of the peculiarities of being a mom and a dad at the same time, full-time. Single-parent families can have different faces: starring single mothers and fathers (biological or adoptive), widowed and separated/divorced, or even grandmothers or grandfathers that are responsible for educating and caring for

Ah, Christmas… What a time so full of light, of unity, dedicated to the family… in short, so happy for all these things… Or is it not? The long-awaited Christmas dinner, the food on the table, all the people gathered together waiting for the moment to sit down and enjoy, not only the extensive menu but the company of others, the conversations, the sharing. So good!... But is everything really so good? For many people, the entire month of December and the Christmas night itsel

Joana is 12 years old and this year she's going to spend Christmas with her father. The decision was made through a drawn to see which parent would start off this new stage of her life. That is because her parents decided to divorce. The Christmas season for Joana is family time. No other religious festival has such a special meaning as this one. The family together, the happy screams of the ecstatic children, the grandmother's food, Aunt Zéza's sweets... This year will be di

Children's health care is one of the concerns of parents and caregivers when moving to another country. Each country has its own health structure and we often need to relearn how to proceed in each situation. In this article, we seek to provide basic guidelines on where to find child health care services. In the Netherlands, there is a separation between healthcare when you are sick and healthcare to monitor the child's development and well-being. When a child falls ill, the

Extraversion and introversion are two vital aspects of our personalities, and where we fall on this spectrum dictates many aspects of our lives, including how we relate to others, how we express ourselves, and even how we express our creativity. People whose personalities are more "silent" and "quiet" are at a disadvantage in a world where success is matched to extraversion. As Susan Cain claims, introversion has now become a second-class personality trait and is often mistak

When we talk about mental health, psychotherapy is one of the first suggestions that comes to people's minds. But in addition to psychotherapy, there are several other activities that can promote mental health, care for your emotions, and practical learning for life situations. A workshop is a great opportunity to reflect and put into practice skills that can benefit different areas of your life. Do you know how workshops work? A workshop brings together people interested in

“ - I have to write the article this week, yes or yes. Ah, but I still have time. After all, I still have a week. Well, I'm just going to listen to this podcast, the new album of my favorite artists, and read a chapter from my book to then start to write. Ah, it's so late already, I'll take care of it tomorrow. (following day) - Ok, now I'll write my article . Ah, but I need to put some music on first. Let me look for the perfect song. (three hours later) Well, now I can't wr

This this a question that everyone has already asked themselves, in some form or another: "How to cultivate a good relationship as a couple?" It is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. It's the real big reason why we suffer, it's the foundation of everything else; it is the reason why we need psychological help, why we harbor emotional anguish: relationships. The “I” in the relationship with the other can get lost, confused, explode, ruminate, hide and suffer. And

Bullying is a repeated behavior, intentionally aggressive, violent, and humiliating, which involves an imbalance of power: children who bully use their power (physical force or access to some embarrassing information, for example) to control and harm others. Bullying can occur during or after school hours, inside the school but also outside (in the surrounding spaces, for example on the bus) and on the internet (for example, on social media). Children who are victims of bully

Families are all different and there are no universal rules or recipes to deal with the issues that arise within the family, but if we look at our family context as a safe place, where we can question, expose our fears, insecurities, and anxieties, we can grow and develop a good communication bridge between the different elements. The family can be a space for sharing even when it comes to talking about sexuality. "But why am I going to talk to my kid about sex if they hasn't

There is a common assumption that if parents talk about sex with their children, the kids will get curious and will want to experience it sooner. However, the reality is very different. Studies are very consistent in showing that children who do not talk about sex and sexuality with their parents often start their sexual life sooner than those whose parents were open about the conversation, and take higher sexual risks in adolescence, such as having intercourse without a cond

Imagine the following situation: Your cell phone is on the table, with the display down, beside the computer. In a usual automatic gesture, he picks it up - "will there be any new notifications that didn't make the phone vibrate and that I didn't notice"?. Thinking with doubt is quick, automatic, it is almost difficult to understand. Another situation: He's out and about and has his cell phone in his pocket. He asks himself what time it will be and takes his cell phone out of

Whenever it is necessary to manage our schedules and add a few hours to the day, it seems quite reasonable to reduce sleep hours, labeling sleep as expendable or negotiable. But is sleep really optional or even a luxury in this society that never sleeps? Sleep neglect may begin with the misunderstanding that sleep is just a moment of rest for the body accompanied by a kind of numbness of the mind. This belief could not be further from the truth, since sleep is a non-negotiabl

In August, the Netherlands covered itself in the colors of the rainbow. From the 31st of July to the 8th of August, in Amsterdam, there were several events in commemoration of the International LGBT+ Pride Day. Pride Amsterdam is described as a festival to celebrate the freedom to be who you are and love whoever you want. In times of great scientific advances, society is still immersed in issues such as prejudice against the sexual orientation of citizens. In this sense, the