catarina
lapão

Catarina’s work is rooted in the understanding that women’s bodies carry an innate intelligence, one that, when honored, transforms the experience of pregnancy, postpartum, and loss. She believes true care begins long before birth and extends far beyond it, ensuring that women are seen, supported, and deeply tended to in life’s most profound transitions.

 

Originally from Lisbon, Portugal, Catarina’s path into the healing arts began in 2013 in Granada, Spain, where she felt a calling to learn about the body and holistic ways to support both herself and others. She transitioned from contemporary jewelry to bodywork, beginning with Swedish Massage and Manual Lymphatic Drainage at the ESEN School. This foundation led her to deeper studies, including Neuromuscular Massage in Madrid, Craniosacral Therapy at the Upledger Institute in Lisbon, and Visionary Craniosacral with Hugh Milne in Hamburg.

 

A profound personal transformation in 2020 shifted her focus entirely to supporting women, particularly during pregnancy, postpartum, and loss. Drawn to the work of Rachelle Garcia Seliga, she joined the INNATE Traditions cohort, where she deepened her understanding of postpartum as a sacred window of time that modern society has largely abandoned. This training shaped her commitment to restoring true postpartum care,

one that honors a mother’s physiological needs and safeguards her well-being.

 

Catarina’s work continues to be guided by her mentor, Silvia Urbani, in the realms of prenatal and perinatal somatic psychology, biodynamic craniosacral therapy, and the somatics of the feminine. She has also studied traditional postpartum and placenta wisdom from Colombia and Mexico with midwife Laura Torres, Holistic Pelvic Care with Tami Lynn Kent and specialised in pregnant and postpartum bodies with physiotherapist Lynn Schulte.

 

Her dedication to tending to the depths of the human experience has led her to study grief with Francis Weller, bereavement support with Amy Wright Glenn, and emotional intelligence with Donna Maria Camps. She is currently training in Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology at APPPAH and exploring Prenatal Bonding to better support mothers in pregnancy.

 

Catarina’s practice is a space of deep listening, gentle hands, and embodied care, where women can reconnect with their bodies, their stories, and the wisdom they carry. She offers her work in Portuguese, Spanish, and English.

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