Rolando Andrade is a 50-year-old Portuguese clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and sports psychology specialist. Over a 25-year career, he has dedicated himself to clinical practice, teaching, and scientific outreach, contributing to several book chapters on health literacy and sports psychology. In the field of sports psychology, he has worked with elite athletes — including European, World, and Olympic champions — helping them navigate the mental challenges of high performance.

But beyond the science, Rolando is also a writer — of fiction, poetry, and raw, unfiltered reflections on life’s harsher realities. His poetic voice once featured in an anthology, and he believes poetry is a way to bring visibility to what often remains hidden. As he writes in his poem “The Invisible Thread”:

“When I write, my wish is to find the invisible thread that unites all people... a word of comfort, the beating of hearts in harmony, or something divine that unites us all.”

Multifaceted and deeply sensitive, Rolando listens closely to the stories of others, walks to reconnect with the world, photographs what moves him, and believes that creativity may be the touch of magic that could one day save humanity.In this interview with the author of the popular Substack, Outside of the Therapy Room, Janelle and Rolando discuss questions of mental toughness, resilience, writing, meaning, and how to approach life when it gets difficult. You can find Rolando’s writing at: https://rolandoandrade.substack.com. And Janelle’s writing at: https://janelleholden.substack.com.

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