Teresa Ferreira

Teresa Ferreira began her career as an adult psychiatrist at the Júlio de Matos Hospital. She joined the Lisbon Child Mental Health Center where she learned the "art of the trade" from the great master João dos Santos. She also worked with him at Casa da Praia - João dos Santos Center for Therapeutic Pedagogy - for children with academic difficulties. In 1972 she began her training in psychoanalysis. She has about 40 published works whose themes refer to Childhood Depression, Maternal/Paternal Competence, and various matters related to the defense of children's rights. In recent years, she has specialized in observing children who are victims of sexual abuse by members of their immediate family, deepening her study of the psychological consequences of these acts on the development of these "traumatized" personalities. In this context, she has interviewed dozens of incestuous and pedophile parents, which she considers one of the most difficult parts of her professional career.