Tania Spalt
M.A. in Clinical Psychology with specialization in Community Psychology
Hakomi Therapy
Life doesn’t always go as planned. Stress, self-doubt, life changes, trauma and unresolved past experiences can pile up and hold us back from living the way we want. Psychotherapy is a powerful tool that helps you to:
- Understand Your Emotions: what are the thoughts and feelings that affect your daily life; gain clarity on why you (re)act the way you do.
- Gain New Perspectives: look at challenges from different angles and identify patterns that may be limiting you.
- Improve Relationships: how to deal with bothersome conflicts differently, improve communication, and foster deeper connections with others.
- Feel better: the goal of therapy is to get to the heart of what is bothering you. It supports you in finding ways to heal, cope well, transform and move forward.
Finding the right therapist for you is an important part of the process towards a positive outcome of therapy!
I believe healing is not only an individual process, but also a collective one. Whether I’m working with you one-on-one or in a group, my goal is to create spaces where you feel seen, supported, safe and empowered.
Individual Therapy
I’m a psychotherapist dedicated to creating a safe, open space where clients can feel heard, seen, understood and empowered so they can heal, grow and achieve lasting transformations, both
individually and within their communities.
My work is grounded in Hakomi Therapy, a body-centered psychotherapy; trauma work (Somatic Experiencing); and a deep understanding of how relationships and social systems shape our lives. My
holistic approach honors both the inner world of my clients and the wider social context in which they live.
I specialize in working with adults — both English and German speaking — who are dealing with life changes, emotional overwhelm, trauma, or wanting to understand themselves better. My therapeutic
approach is to support clients in their process of reconnecting with their inner resources and building a stronger sense of safety, agency and meaning.
Groups & Community events
Along with individual therapy, I also have a background in community psychology. I have years of experience organizing groups and events, and I run workshops and community projects that build
connection and resilience.
Why are community events important?
Especially the explosion of social media into our lives has opened up access to uncountable and possibly immense communities. Especially around a move to a new place or country online resources
can be tremendously helpful in forging new connections. But the intrinsic human need to belong, to feel connected to others, to share common experiences, can not be satisfied through (anonymous)
online contacts.
In my work I want to bridge the personal and the political, the psychological and the social—fostering communities that are connected, compassionate, and resilient.
Are you ready to take the next step?
Do you want to get in touch with me to set up an initial consultation?
Do you have questions?
Are you interested in the groups I offer?
I grew up in Austria, where Freud’s presence still reverberates. However, when I first started my journey into psychotherapy, I realized that psychoanalysis didn’t align with my worldview.
This led me to my initial training in Person-Centered Therapy (Carl Rogers). The probably most pivotal moment, though, was when I discovered Hakomi Therapy. An introductory workshop in Zurich
with Martin Schulmeister had a profound impact, showing me that the Hakomi Method was the manifestation of my beliefs about what therapy could and should be. Subsequently, I completed the Hakomi
training over the next few years.
My path took quite a turn when I met my husband Michael, who was living in Los Angeles at the time. Once I joined him there, the following years presented multiple joys and challenges: immersing
and adjusting to a new culture, sorting out my green card and becoming a parent, all while continuing my education. I acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and a Master of Arts in Clinical
Psychology with a specialization in Community Pyschology at Antioch University. Being recruited into the specialization program by Sylvie Taylor, the head of the Community Psych program, would
prove to be very influential. Even though I maintain the absolute belief in the importance and benefits of psychotherapy it is crucial to understand that it is indeed a remedy, a tool to be used
to alleviate pain and suffering, to improve one's quality of life. But at the same time, the importance and impact of the preventative aspects of community psychology deeply impressed me
and probably have forged, next to Hakomi, the core of my professional identity.
During my internship with the Counseling Center at the Hollywood YMCA I learned about Somatic Experiencing, which opened my mind further to the value of understanding how trauma happens and how
it can be prevented or healed. My own journey as a parent informed my work at the time as well, especially when providing prenatal education with the goal to empower women / couples through
information and also working with young mothers on parenting skills.
In 2009, we moved back to Austria. I focused on counseling with an existential approach and completed a training on prenatal counseling before shifting fully to the small business and guitar
world, which I had been involved in for years since my husband builds guitars. Having experienced and missing the more community based culture in the States we ended up co-founding a
transnational association, The European Guitar Builders association, where I served as executive director for almost 10 years. Building a community from the ground up was just up my alley. And
when I was asked to also serve as director and main organizer of the Symposium and The Holy Grail Guitar Show it enabled me to blend my professional experience with my passion for building
communities.
During my years in Vienna, I gained extensive experience with individuals affected by aging, dementia, and long-term illness, as well as their families and caregivers. This gave me a deeper
understanding of the physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges involved, and highlighted the importance of compassionate, person-centered care. I also saw how essential it is to support
families in maintaining their loved ones’ dignity and quality of life—without sacrificing their own well-being.
After experiencing personal and professional upheaval during COVID, we moved to Portugal in 2022. Now, settled in Loulé, I’m excited to return to my roots in counseling and community work, with
my husband’s guitar workshop just next door.
Are you ready to take the next step?
Do you want to get in touch with me to set up an initial consultation?
Do you have questions?
Are you interested in the groups I offer?
The Garden House, Varzeas da Goldra, Loulé
I am very lucky to now have my own space, where I offer individual counseling as well as groups and community events with various focus points at ‘The Garden House’ in Varzeas da Goldra, Loulé.