Systemic Intervention Office – (GIS)

The Systemic Intervention Unit (GIS) is a community outreach service integrated into the Miguel Torga Higher Institute (ISMT), where the following activities are developed based on the systemic model:

1. Therapeutic Interventions;
2. Training in the Systemic Model;
3. Research.

In this context, GIS develops the following clinical activities: systemic individual therapy, couple therapy, family therapy, divorce therapy, and multifamily therapy; development of parenting skills; network and community intervention; assessment and forensic evaluations (upon request from the Courts and the Child and Youth Protection Committees – CPCJ).

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Team Coordination

Professor Joana Sequeira, PhD

Assistant Professor at the Miguel Torga Higher Institute.
Clinical Psychologist, Family and Couple Therapist, Systemic Practitioner, Full Member of the Portuguese Psychologists Association (OPP), Supervising Lecturer of the Portuguese Society of Family Therapy (SPTF).

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Internal Collaborators

• Professor Inês Pimentel, PhD
  Guest Assistant Professor at ISMT.
  Clinical Psychologist, Family and Couple Therapist, Systemic Practitioner, Full Member of OPP, Trainer Lecturer at SPTF.
• Professor Gabriela Fonseca, PhD
  Assistant Professor at ISMT.
  Clinical Psychologist, Full Member of OPP, Family and Couple Therapist, Systemic Practitioner.
• Professor Joana Carvalho, PhD
  Guest Assistant Professor at ISMT.
  Clinical Psychologist, Full Member of OPP, Psychodramatist, Family and Couple Therapist, Systemic Practitioner.

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External Collaborators

• Mariana Couceiro, MSc
  Clinical Psychologist specialized in Family and Systemic Therapies, Full Member of OPP, Family and Couple Therapist and Systemic Practitioner (in training).
• Marta Pimentel, BSc
  Clinical Psychologist, Full Member of OPP, Family and Couple Therapist, Systemic Practitioner.
• Inês Silvério, MSc
  Clinical Psychologist, Full Member of OPP, Family and Couple Therapist, Systemic Practitioner (in training).
• Patrícia Fernandes, MSc
  Clinical Psychologist, Full Member of OPP, Family and Couple Therapist, Systemic Practitioner.

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Activities Developed

1) Clinical Activities

Systemic Individual Therapy

Systemic Individual Therapy aims to promote understanding of the individual’s functioning, as well as changes in personal functioning and in relationships with others, within the context of nuclear, extended parental, and social family systems. It involves understanding the individual’s role within the family, family functioning patterns, and the adjustment between behaviors, interactions, and family narratives. This intervention is carried out through regular sessions, usually on a biweekly basis.

Couple Therapy

Couple Therapy is an intervention focused on the “We” of the couple, that is, the relationship itself. It requires motivation and involvement from both partners. The objective is to address difficulties experienced in the conjugal relationship, allowing their expression and management, and to adjust or change maladaptive functioning patterns that cause distress (e.g., high conflict, emotional distancing, jealousy, etc.).

Divorce Therapy

Divorce Therapy is indicated for situations of separation or divorce in which there is a need and willingness to resolve conflicts, promoting a functional separation. This intervention aims to foster collaborative co-parenting for the benefit of children.

Family Therapy

Family Therapy is conducted with the family and is developed when the family considers that its difficulties, or those of one of its members, interfere with the dynamics among individuals living together, or when family involvement is relevant to resolving the difficulties in question. This intervention seeks to reduce family dysfunction, adjust relationships among members experiencing difficulties, transform the family’s perception of problems, enhance family strengths in problem-solving and crisis situations, and promote long-term change. It is conducted through regular sessions with one or two therapists (co-therapy), on a biweekly to monthly basis.

Assessment and Forensic Evaluations for the Courts (Non-compliance with Parental Responsibilities)

GIS receives referrals from courts for assessment, forensic evaluation, and therapeutic intervention with families in situations of litigation and/or risk to children. These situations relate to non-compliance with parental responsibilities, parental behaviors that may place children at risk, and situations of high parental conflict (e.g., divorce).

Therapeutic Intervention with Mandated Clients (EMAT and CPCJ)

In situations considered to involve risk or danger, GIS receives cases referred by various entities—namely the Child and Youth Protection Committees (CPCJ) and the Minor Support Teams to the Courts (EMAT)—to develop interventions aimed at resolving the risk or danger factors affecting families.

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2) Training – Clinical Supervision

Clinical supervision is a regular and essential practice in the development of systemic therapies. During supervision sessions, service requests and ongoing clinical cases are discussed, and the development of the therapeutic process is evaluated, including the application of techniques and intervention strategies, achievement of objectives, and the therapeutic contract. Interventions appropriate to each situation are suggested. For therapists in training, preparation of upcoming sessions (objectives and techniques) is also carried out.

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3) Research

GIS has been developing research focused on the evaluation of the therapeutic process with families under follow-up. The main objective is to assess the evolution of therapy in specific dimensions of family or couple functioning. This evaluation also includes analysis of therapy sessions regarding narrative change dimensions using the SAMN (Sequeira & Alarcão, 2012). The research aims to study change factors in the therapeutic process and identify aspects that block such transformation and may help explain therapeutic failures.

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Fees

Note: *50% discount for the ISMT academic community.

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Location

Rua Bernardo de Albuquerque, No. 6, Ground Floor – Left

3000-070 Coimbra, Portugal (6H7P+GW Coimbra).