Becoming a therapist was a midlife calling that grew from my own life experiences — immigration, single parenting, divorce, and starting over. Those chapters shaped how I show up: with empathy, curiosity, and deep respect for each person’s journey.
I was born in Canada to Brazilian parents and grew up in São Paulo, attending a British school that made me bilingual in English and Portuguese from a young age. My path to becoming a therapist wasn’t linear. I first earned a degree in Journalism, worked in hospitality management, got married young, and moved to the United States with two young children. After going through a divorce and raising my kids as a single working mom, I felt called to make a change, one that aligned more closely with my values and life experience.
In my late 30s I returned to graduate school and became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). My early work with foster children and at-risk youth opened my eyes to how traditional talk therapy often falls short for children. That’s what led me to Play Therapy and later to Expressive Arts, Sandplay, and Depth Psychology. I’ve since discovered that creative, nonverbal approaches are just as powerful for adults — helping access deeper emotions, release old patterns, and connect with the inner child in a healing way.
Today, I primarily work with adults who are ready to explore their stories, heal old wounds, and live with more authenticity and balance. My approach is holistic, trauma-informed, and integrative, drawing from Psychodynamic, Depth Psychology, Attachment, IFS, EMDR, Mindfulness, Play Therapy and Expressive Arts therapies.
I bring to my work not only professional training but also lived experience — immigration, divorce, single parenting, blended family life, grief, midlife transitions, and caring for aging parents. I’m fluent in Portuguese, proficient in Spanish, and an LGBTQ+ ally.
When I’m not in session, you’ll likely find me in nature, gardening, reading, watching Formula 1, doing yoga, puzzling, creating SoulCollage® cards or traveling.
Therapy, for me, is not about “fixing” people but about helping them rediscover who they truly are. I believe inner growth begins when we feel seen, understood, and free to be ourselves. I’d be honored to walk beside you as you take steps toward your own healing, growth, and wholeness.
I was born in Canada to Brazilian parents and grew up in São Paulo, attending a British school that made me bilingual in English and Portuguese from a young age. My path to becoming a therapist wasn’t linear. I first earned a degree in Journalism, worked in hospitality management, got married young, and moved to the United States with two young children. After going through a divorce and raising my kids as a single working mom, I felt called to make a change, one that aligned more closely with my values and life experience.
In my late 30s I returned to graduate school and became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). My early work with foster children and at-risk youth opened my eyes to how traditional talk therapy often falls short for children. That’s what led me to Play Therapy and later to Expressive Arts, Sandplay, and Depth Psychology. I’ve since discovered that creative, nonverbal approaches are just as powerful for adults — helping access deeper emotions, release old patterns, and connect with the inner child in a healing way.
Today, I primarily work with adults who are ready to explore their stories, heal old wounds, and live with more authenticity and balance. My approach is holistic, trauma-informed, and integrative, drawing from Psychodynamic, Depth Psychology, Attachment, IFS, EMDR, Mindfulness, Play Therapy and Expressive Arts therapies.
I bring to my work not only professional training but also lived experience — immigration, divorce, single parenting, blended family life, grief, midlife transitions, and caring for aging parents. I’m fluent in Portuguese, proficient in Spanish, and an LGBTQ+ ally.
When I’m not in session, you’ll likely find me in nature, gardening, reading, watching Formula 1, doing yoga, puzzling, creating SoulCollage® cards or traveling.
Therapy, for me, is not about “fixing” people but about helping them rediscover who they truly are. I believe inner growth begins when we feel seen, understood, and free to be ourselves. I’d be honored to walk beside you as you take steps toward your own healing, growth, and wholeness.
"We’re only as needy as our unmet needs."
— John Bowlby
— John Bowlby
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Education
B.A. Communication Studies Major in Journalism Universidade São Judas Tadeu São Paulo - SP - Brazil M.A. Counseling Psychology National University San Diego, CA - USA Post Graduate Certification in Play Therapy UCSD Extension San Diego, CA - USA Post Graduate Certification in Sandplay Therapy UCSD Extension & STA Trainings San Diego, CA - USA Recognitions
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Professional AffiliationShirla de Magalhães
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist BBS - Board of Behavioral Science - CA - LMFT License # 82947 RPT-S - Registered Play Therapist Supervisor #S2226 RSP - Registered Sandplay Practitioner Associations
Accomplishments
Workshops Presented:
Trainings Attended: (attached PDF) 
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