Prof Luísa Soares | Psychology | Women Researcher Award

Prof Luísa Soares, Universidade da Madeira, Portugal

Maria Luísa Pereira Soares is from Madeira Island, Portugal, with 26 years of experience in clinical and pedagogical psychology in Portuguese Higher Education. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Madeira, since 2007. She completed her Psychology degree in 1997 at the University of Porto and her PhD in 2007 in Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy at Ramon Llull University in Barcelona. Since returning to Madeira in 2006, she has taught various courses, directed master’s programs, and contributed significantly to research and innovation, particularly at the intersection of clinical psychology and technology.

Profile:

Academic Graduation

🎓 Dr. Maria Santos pursued her Psychology degree at the University of Porto, Portugal, completing a five-year program (pre-Bologna). She then specialized in Narrative Cognitive Psychotherapy through a post-graduation in Porto. Dr. Santos furthered her studies with a DEA (Certificate of Advanced Studies) at the University Ramon Llull in Barcelona, Spain, before obtaining her PhD from the same institution. Her academic journey reflects a deep commitment to understanding cognitive processes and therapeutic narratives, positioning her as a seasoned expert in psychological research and practice. 🧠

Professional Experience:

In 1997, Luísa Soares completed her degree in Psychology at the University of Porto – FPCE, and in 2007, her PhD in Psychology – Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy, at Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain. In 2006, she returned to Madeira Island, where she teaches various psychology courses and directs the master’s degree in Clinical Psychology of Health and Well-being.

She was a member of Madeira-ITI for ten years (2012-2022), the first innovation institute of the University of Madeira under the Carnegie Mellon U-Portugal program, and an integrated researcher at the Instituto Superior Técnico research center (FCT center), at the ITI/LARSyS unit (ISR/IST).

Research Interests:

Her research interests include exploring interdisciplinary connections between clinical psychology and technology/human-computer interaction, aiming to enhance human well-being through technological applications. She has published several articles within this interdisciplinary framework, gaining recognition in the scientific community

Recent Projects:

She was an external consultant for the Therapy 2.0 Project, a European network that developed guidelines for the use of technology in counseling and therapy. More recently, she has focused on higher education research, particularly on the well-being and psychological health of university students, leading to the creation of the Toolbox for University Students, an online platform to support students’ psychological well-being.

Research focus

Dr. L. Soares focuses on various aspects of psychotherapy and mental health, with a primary research emphasis on therapeutic interventions and psychological well-being. Their work spans bibliotherapy as a tool for promoting psychological health in educational settings, analyzing narratives in patients with agoraphobia, and evaluating therapy alliances in psychotherapy. Dr. Soares also investigates burnout among psychologists and the application of emotional awareness programs. Their research contributes significantly to understanding the effectiveness of different therapeutic approaches and enhancing mental health outcomes. 📚 Their studies integrate clinical psychology with innovative methodologies to improve therapeutic practices and patient outcomes.