Psychologist & Sexuality Specialist

Mariana Mendes Barcelos e Santos

As a certified Psychologist and Sexuality Specialist from Brazil, Mariana Barcelos offers a therapeutic space where clinical expertise and profound human understanding meet. Grounded in an existential-phenomenological approach, her work honors the unique lived experience of each individual, focusing on themes of identity, intimacy, and desire. She has dedicated her career to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, with a particular focus on the experiences of sapphic women. As a lesbian woman and the co-founder of a pioneering LGBTQIA+ psychological clinic, she brings a rare combination of professional knowledge and authentic, lived empathy to her practice, creating a truly safe and affirming environment for clients to explore their most authentic selves.

  • Location:Panorama , Brazil
  • Languages: Portuguese, English
  • Locally qualified: Psychologist & Sexuality Specialist
  • Qualified worldwide: Sexuality Specialist & Relationship Counselor
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1. Individual Psychotherapy

This is a confidential, one-on-one space dedicated entirely to you and your unique lived experience. In these sessions, we can delve into topics such as sexuality, desire, self-esteem, anxiety, and personal growth. Using an existential-phenomenological approach, our conversations will focus on helping you find meaning, clarify your values, and build a life that feels authentic and fulfilling.

3. LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapy

As my core specialty, I provide therapy that is deeply attuned to the experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community. This is a space free from judgment where we can address specific issues such as coming out, navigating queer relationships, overcoming internalized stigma, and exploring gender and sexual identity. My lived experience as a lesbian woman enriches this work, particularly in supporting sapphic individuals.

2. Couples Therapy

For couples seeking to strengthen their bond, I offer a supportive environment to explore relationship dynamics. We will work collaboratively to improve communication, navigate conflicts, and deepen both emotional and physical intimacy. My practice is affirming of all relationship structures and is focused on helping you build a more resilient and connected partnership.

4. Trauma-Informed Support

For clients who have experienced trauma related to sexuality, relationships, or violence, I offer a gentle, trauma-informed approach. Healing is a process that cannot be rushed. My focus is on creating a secure environment where you can process your experiences at your own pace, reclaim a sense of safety, and rebuild a foundation of trust and resilience in your body and relationships.

My Services

How We Can Work Together

My practice is built on creating a warm, collaborative, and non-judgmental space where you can feel safe to explore the most personal aspects of your life. Whether you are seeking to understand your identity, deepen your intimacy, or navigate life's challenges, my goal is to accompany you on your journey with empathy and clinical expertise. Below are the primary ways we can work together.

Specialist in

Unfiltered Talk on Sex, Desire & Sapphic Identity

This is

Your Story, Your Meaning, Your Freedom

I believe therapy is not about diagnosing what is 'wrong,' but about courageously exploring what is true for you. My approach is grounded in the conviction that you are the ultimate expert on your own life. My role is to be a dedicated partner in making sense of your story, honoring your world exactly as you see it, without judgment or assumption. Together, we will navigate the profound questions of identity, desire, and connection, creating a space where you can reclaim your freedom to choose a life that feels authentic and deeply meaningful.

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Sofia and Clara

She gave us a space where we felt truly seen.
My clients Experience

Journeys Toward Wholeness: Real Stories of Transformation

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Identity, Affirmation & Empowerment

Much of my work is dedicated to creating a safe space where you can explore and celebrate who you are, free from societal expectations. I specialize in helping women and LGBTQIA+ individuals navigate the complexities of identity, overcome internalized stigma, and build unshakeable self-acceptance and confidence.

  • For a woman feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of motherhood, we worked to clarify her own authentic desires and values.

  • For a lesbian client struggling with internalized lesbophobia, we reframed her experiences to find pride and freedom in her identity.

  • For a transgender client navigating their transition, we focused on building resilience and self-acceptance against social challenges.

Navigating Relationships & Intimacy

I help individuals and couples build healthier, more connected, and more fulfilling relationships. My approach focuses on improving communication, setting healthy boundaries, and creating a safe space to explore desire, intimacy, and sexual health without shame or judgment.

  • For a couple stuck in a cycle of conflict, we developed tools for active listening and emotional regulation to foster connection.

  • For a client feeling shame around their sexual desire, we worked to reframe their perspective and develop healthier intimacy.

  • For an individual who repeatedly entered unbalanced relationships, we identified underlying patterns to help them build stronger boundaries.

Healing from Trauma & Building Resilience

Therapy is a gentle and patient process of healing from past wounds. I provide a secure, trauma-informed environment where you can process difficult experiences, manage anxiety and depression, and rebuild a sense of safety and agency in your life and relationships at your own pace.

  • For a survivor of sexual trauma, we focused on reclaiming a sense of safety and rebuilding trust in their body and relationships.

  • For a client who experienced homophobic violence, we worked to process the trauma while simultaneously affirming their identity.

  • For a woman experiencing depression linked to suppressing her identity, we guided her to embrace her authentic self and regain energy.

Our Process

A Look Inside Your Therapy Process

It starts with a welcoming first session focused on building trust and understanding your story. We then explore your unique world together, uncovering the deeper meanings behind your experiences. From there, we define what truly matters to you through a flexible, client-led goal-setting process. Our ongoing sessions are dedicated to deepening this insight and supporting your continued growth, ensuring you feel seen and in control of your journey at every step.

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Heterosexual Women Orgasm Frequency
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Lesbian Orgasm Frequency
% 0
Gay Men's Orgasm Frequency
% 0
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Are you

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Taking the first step is often the most courageous one. If you're ready to gain clarity, understand the patterns shaping your life, and build a more empowered future, I invite you to connect. I offer a confidential, non-judgmental space to explore if my approach is the right fit for you. Let's begin the conversation.

Special Focus

Lived Experience & Clinical Expertise

A unique foundation of my practice is the deep integration of clinical excellence with my authentic, lived experience. As both a certified Psychologist and a lesbian woman, I offer more than just a therapeutic method; I provide a space of profound, inherent understanding. This approach is particularly powerful for those who have felt they must translate their identity or justify their experiences in other settings. It allows our work to bypass preliminaries and go deeper, fostering a connection built on shared context and genuine empathy, helping you feel not just heard, but truly seen.
Mariana Barcelos
Psychologist & Sexuality Specialist
Where Change Begins
Awakening Desire: 3 Session Individual Mini Course

Awakening Desire: 3 Session Individual Mini Course

Languages Portuguese, English Sessions 3 Duration 50

Embark on a focused, 3-session journey to awaken your desire. This mini-course is a structured and affirming space designed to help you reconnect with your sexuality and explore intimacy. We will begin by mapping your personal history, identifying the patterns, blocks, and curiosities that shape your unique experience of desire in a safe, confidential environment. This deep dive offers embodied self-understanding and clarity. You will develop tools for self-pleasure, gain confidence in naming your needs and boundaries, and integrate what you learn into your life. The goal is to reduce shame and equip you with a plan to sustain a fulfilling connection with your sexuality long after our sessions conclude.

Worldwide Expertise
Sexuality Specialist & Relationship Counselor
Local Expertise
Psychologist & Sexuality Specialist
€180 For 3 sessions
Awakening Desire: Couples 3 Session Mini Course

Awakening Desire: Couples 3 Session Mini Course

Languages Portuguese, English Sessions 3 Duration 50

Designed for couples seeking to reignite passion, our 3-session Awakening Desire program offers a structured journey to reconnect. We help you navigate mismatched desire and rebuild both the physical and emotional intimacy that forms the foundation of your partnership, creating a shared path forward. Together, we'll map your shared history to uncover relational blocks and desire patterns. You'll gain practical communication tools to express needs and boundaries, fostering deeper understanding. This culminates in a personalized roadmap to sustain intimacy.

Worldwide Expertise
Sexuality Specialist & Relationship Counselor
Local Expertise
Psychologist & Sexuality Specialist
€300 For 3 sessions
"I Like Women: What Now?": 5-Session Programme for Women

"I Like Women: What Now?": 5-Session Programme for Women

Languages Portuguese, English Sessions 5 Duration 50

For women experiencing attraction to another woman, this programme explores the personal meaning of your desire. Using an existential lens, we move beyond labels to understand your unique truth. It's a confidential space to navigate these feelings, whether you're questioning privately or discovering this later in life. Over five individual sessions, we map your experience from the emergence of desire to your relational dynamics and identity. The process is designed to reduce shame, build emotional clarity, and provide you with an integration plan for your path forward, ensuring you feel supported and equipped for what comes next.

Worldwide Expertise
Sexuality Specialist & Relationship Counselor
Local Expertise
Psychologist & Sexuality Specialist
€225 For 5 sessions
Inclusive Workplace Wellbeing: Corporate Training Program

Inclusive Workplace Wellbeing: Corporate Training Program

Languages Portuguese, English Sessions 2 Duration 120

This corporate programme equips teams with essential psychological tools to foster a healthier, emotionally aware, and inclusive workplace. The training directly addresses mental health, identity, and gender to prevent burnout, reduce interpersonal conflict, and create safer, more cohesive team dynamics. Through practical modules on stress regulation, conflict navigation, and LGBTQIA+ inclusive communication, we help you build genuine psychological safety. It is the ideal solution for companies aiming to strengthen wellbeing practices and promote a supportive culture for all employees.

Worldwide Expertise
Sexuality Specialist & Relationship Counselor
Local Expertise
Psychologist & Sexuality Specialist
€600 For 2 sessions
Individual Therapy Session: Exploratory Consultation

Individual Therapy Session: Exploratory Consultation

Languages Portuguese, English Sessions 1 Duration 50

This introductory 45-minute online session is a supportive, one-time consultation designed to explore your primary concerns. It provides a reflective space to discuss emotional hurdles or relational dynamics, offering professional insight into the underlying patterns that influence your experiences and well-being. Led by Mariana, this dialogue is the ideal first step for gaining clarity. You'll leave with a deeper understanding of your specific needs and personalized recommendations, helping you decide whether a longer therapeutic process is the right path for your continued growth.

Worldwide Expertise
Sexuality Specialist & Relationship Counselor
Local Expertise
Psychologist & Sexuality Specialist
€60 For 1 session
LGBTQIA+ Inclusion and Sensitivity Training for Organisations

LGBTQIA+ Inclusion and Sensitivity Training for Organisations

Languages Portuguese, English Sessions 2 Duration 120

Cultivate a genuinely respectful and informed environment with this specialized programme on LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Our training provides clear guidance on psychological safety and diverse identities, strengthening workplace communication to ensure team members and clients feel secure and understood. We equip teams with tools to address harmful biases and microaggressions, fostering a culture where LGBTQIA+ individuals feel valued. This directly boosts employee retention, reduces workplace harm, and strengthens your reputation as a truly inclusive employer.

Worldwide Expertise
Sexuality Specialist & Relationship Counselor
Local Expertise
Psychologist & Sexuality Specialist
€600 For 2 sessions
Long-Term Therapeutic Support: 12-Session Programme

Long-Term Therapeutic Support: 12-Session Programme

Languages Portuguese, English Sessions 12 Duration 50

This 3-month, 12-session programme offers a stable, ongoing space for deep personal exploration. Specifically designed for individuals navigating complex themes like anxiety, trauma, or identity formation, the process unfolds organically based on your unique story. It moves beyond a rigid curriculum to create a sustained therapeutic container for genuine growth and self-discovery. Our 12-week roadmap guides you from understanding your history to integrating new insights and resilience. This structured yet flexible journey helps you reframe internal narratives, gain clarity on relational patterns, and strengthen your emotional stability. The ultimate goal is to empower you to live with greater authenticity, autonomy, and inner peace.

Worldwide Expertise
Sexuality Specialist & Relationship Counselor
Local Expertise
Psychologist & Sexuality Specialist
€504 For 12 sessions
Sapphic Becoming: Lesbian Identity & Butch Subjectivity 5 Session Programme

Sapphic Becoming: Lesbian Identity & Butch Subjectivity 5 Session Programme

Languages Portuguese, English Sessions 5 Duration 50

Discover your story with our 5-Session Identity Roadmap, a reflective programme for adult Lesbians and Sapphics. Together, we will navigate your journey of becoming, addressing internalized narratives, the power of sapphic desire, and the visibility of gender expression like butch identity. This path fosters deep self-acceptance and reduces shame. You will leave with the language to express your identity with pride and safety, feeling a stronger connection to the rich history and vibrant community you belong to.

Worldwide Expertise
Sexuality Specialist & Relationship Counselor
Local Expertise
Psychologist & Sexuality Specialist
€225 For 5 sessions
Sapphic Connection: Relationship & Intimacy 6 Session Bulk Programme (Couples/Poly)

Sapphic Connection: Relationship & Intimacy 6 Session Bulk Programme (Couples/Poly)

Languages Portuguese, English Sessions 6 Duration 50

The Sapphic Connection is a comprehensive six-session therapeutic programme for sapphic couples and polycules. This intensive package provides a structured retreat from daily life to dive deep into your unique relational, emotional, and sexual dynamics, strengthening the core of your partnership and fostering a resilient foundation. Following a clinical roadmap of joint and individual sessions, you will master vital communication tools and explore intimacy within a shame-free framework. You’ll leave with a customized long-term plan, empowered to build a sustainable relationship founded on trust, safety, and deep mutual understanding.

Worldwide Expertise
Sexuality Specialist & Relationship Counselor
Local Expertise
Psychologist & Sexuality Specialist
€600 For 6 sessions
The Path to Understanding: 5-Session Therapeutic Process

The Path to Understanding: 5-Session Therapeutic Process

Languages Portuguese, English Sessions 5 Duration 50

Embark on the "Path to Understanding," a structured 5-session journey designed for those seeking clarity beyond a single consultation. This cohesive process is ideal for exploring challenges related to relationships, anxiety, or identity, using your lived experience as the foundation for transformative reflection and action. Our roadmap moves from an initial assessment of your history to active work with reflective tools and coping strategies. This journey culminates in an integration session, leaving you with profound clarity on your emotional patterns and a concrete plan for your continued growth.

Worldwide Expertise
Sexuality Specialist & Relationship Counselor
Local Expertise
Psychologist & Sexuality Specialist
€225 For 5 sessions
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