Mind-body relationship
Taking care of yourself is a team effort. Mind and body are connected to your family and social environment, your personal life, and your emotions.
Hello, I'm Silvia Valastro. My vocation for psychology stemmed from a long personal journey and from attentively listening to the stories and experiences of the people around me. Over the years, friends, acquaintances, and fellow travelers have shown me—without realizing it—the transformative power that resides in human connection and in a deep understanding of suffering.
I clearly remember the moment I decided to return to university to train as a psychologist. During my first degree, around exam time, I used to suffer from a strange itching in my right thumb, and over time, that itching always ended up developing into small cracks. It was a discomfort that would appear and disappear punctually with each passing grade. I still remember that unpleasant sensation, and unfortunately, it sometimes returns. However, today—more than twenty years after those first exams—that itching is no longer a mystery: it was a psychosomatic disorder, a type of skin eczema caused by stress.
That experience taught me that the body has its own language. In recent years, during my psychology studies, I remember fondly observing my father in his silent suffering and wondering if that physical exhaustion wasn't, deep down, the weariness of a weary soul. Over time, I understood that it was a psychosomatic ailment. I understood that the body often reflects the exhaustion of the soul.
Thus, with great passion and discipline, I decided to train as a psychologist and focus my work on understanding the mind-body connection. With dedication and consistency, I embarked on a new path that led me to graduate with a degree in Psychology from the University of Lausanne in 2021 and complete a Master's degree in Health Psychology at Uni eCampus University in Milan in 2023.
Throughout my training, I delved into Jungian analytical psychology and integrated a psychosomatic approach based on the therapeutic use of imagery, a bridge between the physical world and the symbolic universe that resides within each person. My interest in the healing power of imagery also led me to become certified in Therapeutic Hypnosis by the Free University of Brussels in 2021.
Today, both my personal and professional experience continue to inform my approach to support. I firmly believe that every symptom holds a message, and that listening to it with respect, understanding, and tenderness—to what we experience and what defines us—can pave the way to a deeper sense of well-being and authenticity.
