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Dr Livia Pontes
Chartered Psychologist & Neuropsychologist

I’m a Clinical Psychologist and neuropsychologist based in the UK, with over 20 years of experience supporting adults and young people through anxiety, emotional overwhelm, trauma, and life transitions.

 

I was born and raised in Brazil and after 7 years of developing my private practice there, I relocated to the UK with my husband, and opened my practice here, initially in London.

 

I am based in Milton Keynes, and I offer private psychological therapy online for adults and young adults across the UK and internationally.

 

While I work with both men and women, I have a special interest in women’s mental health — especially the relationship between hormonal changes and emotional wellbeing. I am passionate about supporting women going through perimenopause, menopause, pregnancy and post-natal phase.

 

Women experience important hormonal transitions that are often deeply misunderstood or minimised and it often leads to new mental health difficulties or previous ones resurfacing.

 

If you’re here, you may already have a sense that something isn’t quite right

— even if you can’t fully put it into words yet.

DR Livia Pontes

You don’t need to have it all figured out.

 

We can make sense of it together.

If you feel this may be the right support for you, please get in touch and we can arrange a discovery call.

HCPC
BPS
BABCP

My Professional Journey

I am registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS), as well as an accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist (BABCP).

 

Over the years, I have worked across a range of settings, including the public health services in Brazil and the NHS.

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I have supported people with a wide range of difficulties — from everyday challenges such as stress, relationship difficulties and low self-esteem, to more complex psychiatric and neuropsychological conditions.

 

Living and working across Brazil, the United States, and the UK has also shaped how I understand people — particularly how culture, identity, and life transitions influence mental health.

 

Alongside clinical work, I have:

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  •  taught postgraduate courses

  •  published a book here

  •  worked as an assessor for undergraduate examination boards

  •  published a few research papers and academic work - here

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These experiences have been invaluable — but over time, I became increasingly drawn to one core aspect of the work - sitting with someone, helping them make sense of what they are experiencing, and supporting meaningful change.

My Approach

Hands holding the services

Safety

It is about creating a space where you feel safe to share your vulnerabilities with me. I often hear from my clients that I am easy to talk to.

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Compassion

Helping you to feel seen, heard & understood. But equally important, I will encourage you to develop self-compassion.

My work is integrative and evidence-based, you can read about the approaches I use here,

but therapy is not about techniques alone, these are the values that shape my work:

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Empowerment

Helping you to develop clarity, have an action plan to reach your goals and develop agency.

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Fun

Why not? Life can be heavy, so I strive to make the therapy journey as fun as possible by integrating videos, metaphors, humour.

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Authenticity

Being genuine is central to my work and helps to create meaningful connections with my clients.

A Personal Note

Alongside my professional experience, I also bring lived understanding.

 

I have experienced panic disorder, postnatal depression (twice!), and trauma and I know how disorienting and frightening those states can feel.

 

Like many women, I have also experienced the internal shifts that come with midlife, and I understand how deeply these changes can affect both the mind and the body. I understand how unsettling it can feel when your mind and body no longer feel predictable and the ways you used to cope no longer seem to work.

 

The combination of professional expertise and lived experience allows me to meet people not only with knowledge, but with genuine understanding.

Dr Livia Pontes

My Qualifications

  • BSc (Hons) Psychology – Mackenzie Presbyterian University (Brazil)

  • Postgraduate Diplomas in CBT and Neuropsychology – University of São Paulo (Brazil)

  • MSc – University of São Paulo Medical School (Brazil)

  • Additional training in ACT, CFT, FAP (UK)

  • REBT training – Albert Ellis Institute (New York)

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