Pedro Lino

Couple’s therapy.

The difficult — and sometimes painful — process of developing self-awareness is doubled when we find ourselves in a couple’s dynamic that is no longer working. Not only do we have to understand our own unconscious patterns and reconnect with old experiences, but we may also be faced with the need to offer a safe space for our partner(s) to do the same, even while we ourselves are feeling angry.

This is where couples therapy can help. Together, we can nurture a judgement-free space where each member of the relationship can feel fully seen and heard. In therapy, emotions like fear, anger, sadness, and even disgust are not perceived as problems to be solved, but as vital voices that deserve attention.

Often, the anger we experience in relationships points back to a history of hurt, abandonment, or fear of losing the other. As John Bowlby, the founder of attachment theory, suggests:

“Thus we take it for granted that when a relationship to a special loved person is endangered, we are not only anxious but are usually angry as well. As responses to the risk of loss, anxiety and anger go hand in hand. It is not for nothing that they have the same etymological root.”

My role is to listen carefully — to your words, but also to your silences. By looking deeply into what lies beneath, I can help you make sense of the relationship dynamic you find yourselves in. Through exploring early experiences and unconscious processes, we can discover new ways for each of you to relate and communicate with one another.

This process may take time. Sometimes, healing the relationship means moving closer; sometimes, it means finding a way to part with honesty and care.

Whatever the outcome, therapy can offer each of you tools to understand your needs more clearly, express yourselves more fully, and ultimately honour your longings — with or without the relationship.

Although I welcome clients from all backgrounds, I have extensive experience working with LGBTQ+ and migrant communities, both as a counsellor and as an activist.

I am also able to offer sessions in Portuguese

Before our first session I offer a 20 minute introductory call where we can discuss what your goals and expectations are for therapy. This call can be an important tool for you to decide if we are a match.

If you choose to start having sessions with me I will send to your email a counselling contract and an assessment sheet. The contract should be signed and the assessment completed and then sent back to me (preferably before our first session).

Children and Young People’s therapy.

Working with children and adolescents requires extra care and attention. Creating an environment where a young person feels safe takes time, patience, and sensitivity.

Often, children and adolescents may struggle to articulate what they are feeling — not because they don’t want to, but because they are only beginning their journey in this world, still learning how to navigate their inner world.

This is where my work as a therapist begins: by building a relationship based on trust, respect, and emotional safety.

My goal when working with young people is to model a safe, respectful environment — one where both their words and their silences are held and heard.

Only then may they feel able to express complex emotions such as fear, anger, and, often, a deep sense of duty or responsibility.

To help them explore these experiences, I use creative tools such as card games, drawing materials, and sometimes an iPad (please let me know if you prefer not to use screens).

We will use a lot of creativity together to revisit old experiences, imagine new possibilities, and find different ways through the challenge or compulsions they are facing.

Activities are always tailored to what the young person brings into the session.

We will also work on how they might feel comfortable communicating these discoveries to their parents or carers.

Regarding communication with carers: there may be times when I invite parents or carers for a separate session. Please be assured that anything discussed between myself and the young person will be agreed upon with them first, as confidentiality is essential for building trust and fostering a sense of safety in the therapeutic relationship.

I understand this can feel uncomfortable for some parents or carers; however, safeguarding is always my priority. In our first session, we will agree that if any safeguarding concerns arise, they will be shared with parents or carers immediately.

It is important to highlight that I have extensive experience working with young LGBTQ+ clients. I place special emphasis on supporting trans and non-binary young people, who often face even greater vulnerability. While the core therapeutic process remains the same, I ensure they feel fully supported and have access to the resources they need to navigate their gender journey safely.

My experience with young people extends beyond private practice; I also work as a school counsellor in South East London.

My aim is always to offer young clients a space where they can develop greater self-awareness, emotional resilience, and the ability to build healthy relationships in the future.

P.S. I also offer sessions in Portuguese.

Before our first session, I offer a 15-minute introductory call where you can get to know me and see if you feel I would be a good match for your child or the young person you care for.

There is no fee for this call.

If you’d like, I can also offer them a separate 15-minute call, giving them the chance to decide whether they feel we would work well together — this call is also free of charge.

If you choose to start sessions with me, I will send a counselling agreement and an assessment form to your email.

The agreement should be signed, and the assessment completed and returned to me — preferably before our first session.

I am a Person Centred Therapist registered with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I have extensive experience working with under-represented communities and helping people understanding their behaviours.

My counselling journey started a decade ago, not as a qualified counsellor, but as a client. By offering a judgment free space and the opportunity to be vulnerable, my therapist supported me on my journey of self-acceptance. It is on that connection between counsellor and client that I base my work. In my humanistic approach to therapy I believe that my clients are the experts of themselves. Together we can focus on the goals they have set and, as the relationship develops, untie the knots that are holding them back from reaching their objectives. In my personal experience as a therapist, relationship is key for change.

Although I welcome clients from all backgrounds, helping them on their journey of self discovery, I have extensively worked with the LGBTQ+ and migrant communities both as an activist and as a counsellor. 

I am also able to offer sessions in Portuguese.

As a therapist I can help you with;

· Abuse (including sexual abuse)

· Anxiety

· Addiction

· Bereavement

· Depression

· Family/Relationship Issues

· Low Self Esteem

· Trauma

· Suicidal Ideation

Before our first session I offer a 10 minute introductory call where we can discuss what your goals and expectations are for therapy. This call can be an important tool for you to decide if we are a match.

If you choose to start having sessions with me I will send to your email a counselling agreement and an assessment sheet. The agreeement should be signed and the assessment completed and then sent back to me (preferably before our first session).