I was born into a family that never was, and to a country with a civil war that didn't seem to end. I have spent part of my childhood in Angola, where I was born. In the early stages of my life, I was already dealing with an absent father and an unstable environment. My mother was planning our migration. Eventually, we ended up in Portugal when I was 8 years old. After we moved, my father was nowhere to be found. I was officially a daddyless daughter.

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Even though the 7-year-old me already had faced some challenges, nothing and no one could prepare me for what was yet to come: years of emotional, physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. At 18 years old, my abuser passed away. I was finally free. Unfortunately, the trauma wouldn't leave me alone. I was ready to be happy and face life without violence, but I didn't have the time or the tools to figure that out, I was busy trying to survive.

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A decade of trial and error and exploration followed until I was ready for the next step. I had enough. By then, my only purpose was to be happy 5 days a week. So I did what any human would do: I typed "how to be happy" on Google. Yoga and Meditation were already in the picture, and I truly believe that these practices paved the way to the stability and openness I needed to start my self-healing process.

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In this process, I discovered tremendous teachers and practices. I submersed myself in my Yoga practice, meditated daily, and devoured any personal growth book, training, video, or article I could find. I did all the tests, all quizzes and tried all the tools and techniques available at the moment. I wrote like crazy, I cried louder than ever, and as I always say, with tools and tears I learned how to be happy. And I am. It was a long process, followed by a trip to India, a Yoga, and then a Life Coaching Certification. There was no way I was going to let all this information die with me. People like me needed to know that it is possible to live a joyful life after trauma. 

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Now I dedicate my life to letting you know that yes, you can heal from trauma, be truly happy, and feel fulfilled. With the correct tools, anything is possible!

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If you're ready to do the work, book a free session with me. I will help you assess where you are, where you want to be, and support you in figuring out the steps you need to take to be happy and thrive from the inside out! 

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Love and light, 

Erika.