Carla Vale Lucas

Bibliotherapy: A tool to promote children's psychological well-being

The focus of this article is on bibliotherapy and child development. Particular attention is given to collaboration between psychologists and educators. The authors identify and discuss the benefits of bibliotherapy, provide guidelines for practice, and discuss implementation. Cautions, new directions, and particular issues relating to bibliotherapy in Portugal conclude this article.

Pilot project for peer tutoring: a case study in a Portuguese university

Purpose – Tutoring or mentoring is a form of mutual and informal learning which has distant origins. This is a way of sharing knowledge and experience which has been proved to be extremely useful in educational settings, particularly where there is a peer that plays the role of tutor. Despite its informal characteristic, tutoring should be a structured process, with defined goals and clear roles for both: tutors and tutees, those who benefit from tutoring. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – As this paper aims to explore a pilot project, it was used as a reflexive and practical methodology, in a case study, analyzing the number of participants attending the project as well as the contents of the training course. Findings – In this first project in a Portuguese university, 35 students attended as candidates to tutor, participating in the training course, showing interest in helping their colleagues. Originality/value – This proposal for a tutoring program in a public highe...

Being a teen and learning how to surf anxiety: Integrating narrative methods with cognitive–behavioral therapy

Adolescence is a challenging stage due to the multiple and rapid changes that occur. In this paper, we present a clinical case of a teen with anxiety and hypochondriac symptoms. The therapeutic treatment, ongoing, was provided in 16 sessions. The intervention was based on the assumption that health anxiety results from processes that maintain catastrophic interpretations that for itself increases anxiety. The principles of cognitive–behavioral and narrative therapy were applied in the intervention. The therapy involved providing psychoeducation, reducing the excessive focus given to the body, learning and training strategies to cope with anxiety, and constructing a life project. The case study shows the value of using metaphors as tools in the therapeutic process, and when facing lifes challenges. Also, it shows the importance of using reading and writing exercises to promote change and adjustment.