http://www.knowingyourself.co.uk/

Knowing yourself, London (2026)

24/02/2026

I’ve just published a new intimate circle for March 8th.

Soul to Soul: Cacao, Reflection & Conscious Laughter

A small, carefully held space in Peckham to soften, reconnect and release.

We’ll share ceremonial cacao, explore a gentle guided reflection, and allow conscious laughter to arise naturally — no performance, no pressure, just human connection.

Only 8 spaces available.
£22 (currently 20% off for International Women’s Day).

If you feel ready for something quieter and real, you’re welcome.

Link in comments.

https://Soul2Soul-Circle.eventbrite.co.uk

23/02/2026

I’m not interested in being a therapist who keeps you dependent.

I’m interested in helping you see yourself clearly.

Sometimes that means looking at uncomfortable things. �Sometimes that means realising you are stronger than you’ve been acting.� Sometimes that means admitting you’ve been repeating the same story for years.

I won’t shame you.� I won’t flatter you.� I won’t turn your parents into villains just to make you feel better.

But I will sit with you properly. �And I won’t be frightened of what you bring.

If you’re ready for that kind of work, I have space for two people.

£50 an hour. �In person or online.

That’s it.
Maria

22/02/2026

I didn’t come into this work just through study.

I come as someone who has lived.

I have known doubt. �I have known fear. �I have known the kind of questions that don’t let you sleep.

I have rebuilt parts of myself more than once.

So when you sit in front of me, you don’t scare me.� Your anger doesn’t scare me.� Your grief doesn’t scare me.� Your contradictions don’t scare me.

I don’t need you to be tidy.

I work with adults and young adults who are ready to stop circling the same pattern and actually understand what’s underneath it.

Not quick fixes.� Not blame.� Not avoidance.
Real work.

With respect.

I currently have space for two clients.�

£50 per session.� Online or in London.

Maria Veiga�

Psychotherapist | Knowing Yourself

05/02/2026

🅻🅰🆄🅶🅷🆃🅴🆁 & 🅲🅰🅲🅰🅾

Laughter Yoga isn’t about being funny, even if it can be.
And it isn’t about forcing happiness, even if it can bring it.

It’s a gentle, body-based practice that supports the nervous system through breath, movement, and intentional laughter.

What it offers isn’t always loud or immediate, and that’s important to understand.
Some people feel lighter straight away.
Others notice changes later: better sleep, less tension, a calmer mood, more ease in the body.

These practices work quietly, underneath the thinking mind.
They’re most beneficial when approached as a practice, not simply a one-off experience.

This is why I’ve returned to offering Laughter sessions after a longer pause, now with the addition of Cacao... yummy

Not because it’s easy — but because it feels genuinely needed.

The session begins with laughter and gentle regulation, helping the body arrive and soften. Ending with relaxation, and only afterwards do we share cacao in a grounded, simple way - not as a ceremony, but as a moment of connection and presence.

You don’t need confidence, experience, or a particular mood.
You don’t need to “get it right”.
You’re welcome exactly as you are.

🌀 Medicine for the Soul – Laughter & Cacao Healing Circle
📍 Dulwich/Peckham
🕰 Sunday session
👉 Book here: https://LaughterandCacao.eventbrite.co.uk

Maria Veiga
Laughter Yoga Facilitator & Psychotherapist
Knowing Yourself

04/02/2026

“𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 — 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧”

One of the biggest myths about therapy is that progress looks like motivation, openness, and relief.

In reality, progress often looks like:
Arriving late to sessions
Going quiet
Talking about feelings instead of feeling them
Suddenly questioning whether therapy “works”

This isn’t avoidance.
It’s protection.

Here’s an example:
A client starts therapy wanting help with anxiety.
A few weeks in, they begin arriving late and keeping things “light”.
What’s actually happening?

Their nervous system has detected something important:
“If I go further, something old will be touched.”

Resistance isn’t the enemy.
It’s the sign that therapy is approaching meaningful territory.

In good therapy, resistance isn’t pushed through.
It’s listened to.
Because at some point in your life, resistance kept you safe.

It learned:
When to stay small
When to stay pleasant
When not to need

Therapy works when that protective part is met with respect - not force.

Nothing in therapy is about breaking you open.
It’s about creating enough safety that you don’t have to stay armoured.

— Maria Veiga
Psychotherapist | Knowing Yourself

If this is something you interested, get in touch

03/02/2026

“𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭)”

People often say:
“I don’t get how talking can change anything.”

And that makes sense, because therapy isn’t about talking things through in the way most people imagine.

Here’s what’s actually happening.
When you speak freely, without needing to protect, perform, explain or be “reasonable”, your unconscious patterns surface. Not as memories alone, but as how you relate in the room.

For example:
A client talks calmly about being constantly overlooked at work.
No anger. No drama. Very articulate.

But in the room:
They minimise their own feelings
They apologise for taking time
They wait for permission to continue

That dynamic is the work.

Therapy works because the same patterns running your life show up live, between two people, where they can be felt, slowed down, named, and gently interrupted.

At first, this can feel frustrating.
You may leave sessions thinking:
“I talked a lot but nothing changed”
“I already knew all this”
“Why do I feel worse, not better?”

That’s ok.
That’s the system loosening.

Insight alone doesn’t change us.
Relational experience does.
And that takes time.

— Maria Veiga
Psychotherapist | Knowing Yourself

If this is something you would like to explore, get in touch.

02/02/2026

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 “𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠”, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭

Sometimes people reach out to me unsure what they’re actually looking for.
They don’t always say “therapy”.
They don’t always say “group work”.

Often they just say they feel tired, disconnected, overwhelmed, or out of rhythm with themselves.
That uncertainty makes sense.

Some people need a quiet, consistent one-to-one space to understand themselves more deeply, make sense of patterns, and feel met over time.

Others need something more bodily and relational — a way to soften tension, breathe more fully, and reconnect gently with themselves and others.

That’s why I offer both therapy and Laughter & Cacao sessions.

They serve different purposes, but they’re rooted in the same understanding: that change doesn’t happen through force but through safety, presence, and repetition.

If you’re drawn to talking, reflecting, and exploring your inner world over time, therapy may be the right place to begin.

If you’re drawn to something lighter, more embodied, and shared — a way of easing back into connection — a Laughter & Cacao session might suit you better.

You don’t need to know straight away.
You don’t need to label your needs perfectly.
You’re allowed to start where you are.

If you’re unsure, curious, or quietly considering what support might look like for you, you’re welcome to get in touch.

🌀 Laughter & Cacao – group sessions
👉 https://LaughterandCacao.eventbrite.co.uk

🌿 Therapy – one to one
📧 maria@knowingyourself.co.uk
🌐 www.knowingyourself.co.uk

Maria Veiga
Psychotherapist | Laughter Yoga Facilitator
Knowing Yourself

01/02/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞

Therapy is often imagined as either talking endlessly about the past, or being given tools to “fix” the present.

In reality, most therapeutic work happens somewhere quieter than that.

Over time, therapy becomes a place where patterns are noticed as they arise, not just described afterwards. How you speak, pause, avoid, soften, defend, or reach out all become part of the conversation. Nothing needs to be forced; it’s about paying attention.

Change doesn’t usually come from insight alone. It comes from experiencing something different consistently: being met without needing to justify yourself, being able to slow down without pressure, being allowed to stay with uncertainty rather than rushing to answers.

This is why therapy takes time. Not because people are resistant, but because the nervous system integrates new ways of relating gradually. Safety isn’t installed - it’s learned through relationship.

I work relationally and with depth, supporting people who want to understand themselves more honestly, rather than trying to override their inner responses. The work is collaborative, grounded, and shaped by what emerges over time.

If you’ve been considering therapy — whether because something feels stuck, repetitive, or quietly heavy — you don’t need a perfect explanation to begin.

I’m currently welcoming new clients.
📍 Dulwich & online
📧 maria@knowingyourself.co.uk
🌐 www.knowingyourself.co.uk

Maria Veiga
Psychotherapist
Knowing Yourself

31/01/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐲 —𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭

One of the reasons practices like Laughter Yoga can feel confusing at first is that they don’t operate on the same timeline as the mind.

The mind wants quick feedback.
The body works through repetition, rhythm, and familiarity.

When we laugh intentionally — combined with breathing and gentle movement — the body receives signals that influence circulation, oxygen levels, muscle tone, and the stress response system. These shifts are physiological, not conceptual. You don’t have to “believe” in them for them to happen.

What often takes time is trust.
The nervous system doesn’t soften because it’s told to. It softens when it has enough repeated evidence that it’s safe to do so. For many people, the first session is simply an introduction — a way of noticing how the body reacts to something slightly outside its usual patterns.

Over time, people often notice changes not during the session, but afterwards:
sleep improving
mood lifting more easily
less holding in the chest or jaw
a greater sense of ease in social situations

This is why I don’t approach Laughter & Cacao as a one-off “experience”. It’s a practice that supports the body gradually, in its own language.

The sessions begin with laughter and regulation first, allowing the body to arrive. Cacao is shared afterwards in a simple, grounded way — as a moment of connection rather than something to perform or analyse.

This space is for people who are curious, cautious, tired, open, unsure — all of it belongs.

🌀 Medicine for the Soul – Laughter & Cacao Healing Circle
📍 Dulwich / Peckham
🗓 Sunday 8 February
👉 Book here: https://LaughterandCacao.eventbrite.co.uk

Maria Veiga
Laughter Yoga Facilitator & Psychotherapist
Knowing Yourself

30/01/2026

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐠

Many people come to therapy believing they need to be “fixed”.

They arrive carrying questions like:
“What’s wrong with me?”
“Why can’t I just change this?”
“Why am I still struggling?”

What often helps more than answers is understanding.
Understanding where patterns come from.
Understanding how the nervous system learned to cope.
Understanding what behaviours once protected, even if they no longer serve.

When something is understood - rather than judged or pushed away - the nervous system begins to soften. From there, change becomes possible without force.

Therapy isn’t about becoming someone else.
It’s about making sense of who you already are.

I work relationally and with depth, offering a steady space where things don’t need to be rushed, labelled, or explained away. Often the work isn’t dramatic — it’s quiet, cumulative, and deeply human.

If you’ve been thinking about therapy — even gently, even without clear words — that’s often the moment to begin.

I’m currently welcoming new clients.
📍 Dulwich & online
📧 maria@knowingyourself.co.uk
🌐 www.knowingyourself.co.uk

Maria Veiga
Psychotherapist
Knowing Yourself

29/01/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐰𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 — 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

Many adults tell me the same thing when they think about laughter-based practices:
“I don’t think I could do that.”
“I’d feel awkward.”
“I wouldn’t know what to do.”
And honestly, that makes complete sense.

As adults, most of us have learned to keep ourselves contained, composed, and socially appropriate. Laughter becomes spontaneous, rare, or situational, not something we deliberately allow ourselves to explore.

So when laughter is approached as a body-based practice, the nervous system often responds with hesitation first.
That awkwardness is ok.
It’s information.
It’s the body encountering something unfamiliar and checking: is this safe?

Laughter Yoga doesn’t rely on humour, confidence, or being naturally expressive. It works even when laughter feels tentative, quiet, or strange, because the body responds before the thinking mind decides what it thinks.

This is why I always say: there is no “right way” to laugh here.
There is only your way.

The session begins with breathing, moving, and laughter exercises, followed by meditation. Only afterwards do we share cacao as a grounded moment of connection and presence with you and others. There will be time to choose oracle cards for guidance if you wish, and interact with each other.

If you’ve felt curious but unsure, that uncertainty is welcome too.

🌀 Medicine for the Soul – Laughter & Cacao Healing Circle
📍 Dulwich / Peckham
🗓 Sunday 8 February at 4pm
👉 Book here: https://LaughterandCacao.eventbrite.co.uk

Maria Veiga
Laughter Yoga Facilitator & Psychotherapist
Knowing Yourself

28/01/2026

˜”*°•.˜”*°• Therapy •°*”˜.•°*”˜

Many people think therapy is something you start when life falls apart.

In reality, most people come because of something quieter:
feeling stuck, emotionally tired, disconnected from themselves, or unsure why certain patterns keep repeating.

Therapy isn’t about fixing you.
It’s about understanding what’s happening beneath the surface, at your pace, without judgement or pressure.

Often, when something is understood rather than pushed away, the nervous system begins to settle. From there, change becomes possible without force.

I work relationally and with depth, supporting people to make sense of their emotional world and reconnect with themselves in a grounded, human way.

If you’ve been thinking about therapy — even gently, even uncertainly — that’s often the right moment to begin.

I’m currently welcoming new clients.
📍 Dulwich & online
📧 maria@knowingyourself.co.uk
🌐 www.knowingyourself.co.uk

Maria Veiga
Psychotherapist
Knowing Yourself

Knowing yourself

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