My work began with my own journey back to myself.
I’m Fernanda, therapist and founder of Portal I AM.
My approach to healing has been shaped not only by years of training in holistic and somatic therapies, but also by my own experiences of change, vulnerability and rebuilding.
Portal I AM was born from this journey and from my desire to create the kind of space I believe healing needs — a safe space where the body, mind, emotions and energetic experience can be approached as interconnected parts of the whole.
MY STORY
SOMETIMES LIFE CHANGES BEFORE WE ARE READY.
I moved to New Zealand in 2015, beginning a completely new chapter of my life.
The following year, while eight months pregnant with my daughter, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
At the same time that I was preparing to become a mother, I found myself navigating illness, uncertainty and profound change. That period changed the way I understood healing.
I began to see that healing is not only about what happens physically. Our experiences can touch every part of us — the body, emotions, mind, relationships, sense of safety and the way we experience ourselves.
My own journey gradually led me deeper into the work I offer today.
FROM MY JOURNEY TO MY WORK
HEALING BECAME SOMETHING I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND MORE DEEPLY.
Over the years, my curiosity about healing led me to explore different therapeutic traditions — from energy work and bodywork to family systems, the subconscious mind and, eventually, somatic approaches and Spinal Energetics™.
Rather than seeing these approaches as separate, I became increasingly interested in how they are connected: how the body responds to our experiences, how patterns can continue beyond conscious understanding, and how creating the right conditions can allow something different to emerge.
This became the foundation of Portal I AM.
THE MEANING BEHIND PORTAL I AM
MORE THAN A NAME
“I AM” represents our connection with the divine — the essence that exists within us and is present throughout life. It speaks to the interconnectedness of all beings and to the deeper awareness that, beyond our individual experiences, we are part of something greater.
The word Portal represents a passage — a space that invites reconnection with this deeper sense of self, opening the possibility for greater awareness, understanding and transformation.
Portal I AM was created from hope — hope for healing and hope for life. Today, it is the space I offer for others to reconnect with their body, their inner experience and the deeper essence of who they are.
MY APPROACH
I DON’T BELIEVE HEALING LOOKS THE SAME FOR EVERYONE.
Every person who enters my space brings a different body, history, nervous system and life experience. My role is not to force your body into a particular response or tell you what you should feel. It is to meet you where you are, listen carefully and create a space where your own process can unfold. Sometimes that means working with the body. Sometimes with energy, touch, stillness or awareness. And sometimes what is most needed is simply the experience of feeling safe enough to slow down.
Your body leads. We meet it where it is.
TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Certified Holistic Therapist
Master Teacher — Usui Reiki & 16 Additional Energy Healing Systems
Spinal Energetics™ Practitioner
Spinal Energetics™ Practitioner
Master Teacher — Usui Reiki & 16 Additional Energy Healing Systems
Spinal Energetics™ Practitioner
Master Teacher — Usui Reiki & 16 Additional Energy Healing Systems
Master Teacher — Usui Reiki & 16 Additional Energy Healing Systems
Master Teacher — Usui Reiki & 16 Additional Energy Healing Systems
Trained Massage Therapist
Family Constellation Facilitator
Master Teacher — Usui Reiki & 16 Additional Energy Healing Systems
Access Bars Practitioner
Family Constellation Facilitator
Family Constellation Facilitator
Family Constellation Facilitator
Family Constellation Facilitator
Family Constellation Facilitator
Breathwork Facilitator
AMA DEUS — Guarani Shamanic Healing
Breathwork Facilitator
Hypnotherapy Training
AMA DEUS — Guarani Shamanic Healing
Breathwork Facilitator
AMA DEUS — Guarani Shamanic Healing
AMA DEUS — Guarani Shamanic Healing
AMA DEUS — Guarani Shamanic Healing
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A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME
BEYOND THE THERAPY ROOM...
I’m a mother, someone who values meaningful connections, and a person who continues to learn from life just as much as I learn from my professional training.
I’m drawn to simplicity, nature, meaningful conversations and the small rituals that help us slow down and become more present.
Portal I AM reflects much of what I value: authenticity, curiosity, connection, and creating space to simply be.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TO BEGIN.
If something here resonates with you, you’re welcome to explore how we can work together.
PORTAL I AM
52 Skyhawk Road, Wigram, Christchurch 8042, New Zealand