Testimony by Maria Francisca Pereira, alumna of the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP-UCP). Her academic and professional path shows how, after completing a Master’s degree in Psychology with a specialisation in Clinical and Health Psychology, a psychologist’s fields of practice can be highly diverse.

Maria Francisca Pereira completed the Professional Internship required for access to the Portuguese Psychologists’ Association at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP-UCP), after finishing her Master’s degree in Psychology with a specialisation in Clinical and Health Psychology. Currently, her work in the field of psychology is wide‑ranging. She works as a psychologist at UCP2 Mental Health, the Integrated System for the Promotion of Mental Health of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, where she focuses on psychological assessment and intervention with young adults, an area in which she had already had the opportunity to develop and consolidate knowledge during her Professional Internship. At the same time, she is involved in the development and promotion of initiatives aimed at promoting and preventing mental health and the well‑being of the academic community.

Between follow‑up psychological consultations, moments of reflection, team meetings and collaboration in initiatives whose aim is to promote the mental health of the academic community, our alumna builds a daily routine focused on responding to students’ needs.
 

From theory to daily intervention

When recalling her academic journey at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Universidade Católica Portuguesa, both during her Bachelor’s degree and her Master’s degree, she highlights the importance of complementary opportunities that accompany the formation in Psychology, emphasising the impact of the volunteering and community service initiatives she took part in throughout both cycles of study. One of the most significant experiences took place in the very first year of her Bachelor’s degree, when she volunteered in the adult emergency unit of Hospital de São João.

Her education at FEP‑UCP proved to be decisive for her personal and professional development, offering a rigorous, close‑knit environment that was deeply oriented towards integrating theory and practice. The close relationship with lecturers, many of whom are practising psychologists, provided personalised supervision that enriched learning and strengthened the connection with the reality of the profession. As she recalls, “it was a context that stimulated critical thinking, intellectual curiosity and reflection on the role of Psychology in society”, making this academic stage a transformative element of her pathway.

Today, in professional practice, she recognises that the foundations developed in the classroom have become essential to her daily work. “A psychologist must be a good listener, and that is reflected not only in knowing how to listen, but in being fully present to support and understand the person,” she stresses. She highlights another crucial skill, empathy, which translates into the ability to recognise the impact that different experiences have on each individual and to adjust assessment and intervention accordingly.

There is also something that Maria Francisca Pereira considers decisive: the continuous desire to learn. This is an attitude that, she believes, she carried from her academic background into her professional life and that continues to guide her daily practice, noting in particular that “over time we realise that this constant learning is part of the psychologist’s own professional identity”.
 

Transformations that give meaning to a psychologist’s work

For our alumna, one of the most striking aspects of clinical practice is “accompanying people’s processes of change, however small they may seem”. Throughout the sessions, it becomes evident to the psychologist when a person begins to better understand what they are feeling and finds new ways of dealing with their difficulties.
 
As a psychologist, being able to witness these subtle advances that have real impact in people’s lives, and to take part in the personal growth of each individual who seeks support, is one of the most rewarding dimensions of her profession.
 
Thus, the main motivation for her work lies in the possibility of contributing to people’s well‑being at a decisive moment in their personal and/or academic journey. In the university context, where challenges specific to this transitional phase often arise, Maria Francisca values the opportunity to support developmental processes and to promote a greater capacity to respond to everyday demands.
 

Psychology: a profession in continuous growth

Looking towards the future of Psychology in Portugal, the alumna anticipates that it will become an increasingly relevant field, driven by the growing attention given to mental health and the emergence of new areas of intervention. She highlights the importance of normalising psychological care, emphasising that asking for help should not be seen as a sign of fragility. She considers it essential for professionals to continue working to strengthen this awareness, while cultivating continuous learning and interdisciplinary collaboration.
 
To Psychology students, she leaves simple but crucial advice: “make the most of your academic journey and maintain a curious and open attitude towards learning”. She also refers that the field of Psychology requires not only scientific knowledge, but also a deep capacity for listening, reflection and understanding others, skills that are built throughout each academic and professional experience. Finally, she encourages students to see the learning journey as a process of self‑knowledge that will accompany them throughout their entire professional lives.