A grounded man inspired by women, facilitating transformational journeys, combining the right amount of adventure and mindfulness.
Hi, my name is Joao, what is yours ?
I was born in Lisbon but by now I’ve lived in so many countries (+10) that I consider myself more and more a citizen of the world. I’ve been fortunate enough to have as my all time life examples two women, Grandma and Mum, who showed me from a very young age how important it is to care and nurture for other beings with love, compassion and solid support.
That’s why I have studied business management so that I could have the bigger picture of processes involving people’s centering around common goals and the solid foundations necessary to do so. Later the degree in psychology came about to better understand on a more individual perspective how people thrive and what their struggles are in achieving love and contentment. One of the things I’ve realised from observing and guiding many different individuals is that creativity is one of the most interesting ways for humans to liberate their visions and truly self-express, and that’s why I went and dug deeper into creative processes with a master program at the Copenhagen Business School.
One of the many privileges I have had when living 5 years in Denmark was the deep involvement and observation of the yoga and meditation community. I believe I have learned from the best in this field how to ground, guide, and leave a meaningful and transformative impact with the ones I share the knowledge of Mindfulness and Yoga practice with. This was the period I became the supporting hand of Senior Masters, which allowed me to learn deeply from the practices, observations, and their guidance.
Almost by serendipity and natural flow I was invited to host men’s circles / groups, and that has somehow, since then, shaped my recent years. Because I dedicated more attention, studied and focused more and more on the topic of masculinities and the tensions, challenges and impact those have in modern society and each individual man. Ultimately engaging me on a journey as a PhD fellow in Sociology – Gender Studies by Nova University in Lisbon.
Currently I am a therapist, facilitating 1-to-1 sessions & private 1-to-1 retreats. Being a guest-lecturer at various universities and participating in HR consulting projects. All while doing my PhD as well. Most recently, Unusual Voyages challenged me to embark on this new adventure, that I’m very excited about, of guiding and supporting mental health & growth actual trips around the world – first stop NEPAL, let’s go!
