Congratulations to Maria Coimbra on being selected as the Student Spotlight Award winner for September 2025!
The purpose of this award is to highlight students who are doing important work in the CBS community whether for research, clinical, and/or volunteer-humanitarian efforts.
This is a way to highlight their achievements, let the ACBS community know important work students are doing, and possibly provide a platform for mentoring/collaboration/professional development/conversations around highlighted areas.
Learn more about Maria:
Background of CBS Research/Clinical/Volunteering efforts/achievements:
I began studying CBS in 2020, during my final year as a Master’s student in Coimbra, Portugal. My internship and thesis focused on applying CBS to clinical and health psychology, specifically studying Orthorexia Nervosa (ON). This work led to the development and publication of the first ON assessment measure for the Portuguese population and my participation in the International Consensus for ON. Since then, I’ve collaborated on various research and clinical projects with populations such as those with chronic illnesses, at-risk youth, homelessness, disordered eating, and body dysmorphia (BDD).
In 2022, I launched my Ph.D. project, “When the Mirror is Wrong”, the first to study BDD in Portugal, aiming to develop and validate a new ACT and compassion-based intervention (Mind-over-Mirror) for adults with BDD symptoms. This has been my main focus, aligning my research, clinical work, and education. Hence, I also earned a post-graduate diploma in third-generation therapies, expanded my clinical work through supervision and peer collaboration, and published 14 research papers, most expanding CBS knowledge. Recently, we published a new Body Image Flexibility scale (Psy-Flex-BI). In parallel, I’ve dedicated my time to a non-profit organization supporting youth from different socioeconomic backgrounds, serving as National Coordinator for three years. Now in the third year of my Ph. D., aiming to test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the Mind-over-Mirror intervention while continuing my work and contribution within the community.
In what ways do you contribute to the CBS community (through your clinical, volunteer or research work)?I am honored to apply for the ACBS Student Spotlight Award in recognition of my commitment to advancing contextual behavioral science, particularly in the domains of body image, eating behavior, and with at-risk youth. I have chosen to highlight the following contributions:
1. Research and Development of Psychological Flexibility Measures
-Developed and validated two novel psychological flexibility measures: Psy-Flex-BI (for body image) and AFQ-Y-P (for youth).
-Published 14 peer-reviewed journal articles and 8 poster/oral presentations, 17 of which in the CBS field.
2. Innovation in Clinical Interventions
- Designed and implemented the Mind-over-Mirror intervention, the first ACT- and compassion-based group treatment for BDD;
- Integrated neuropsycholiogical and neuroimaging data (through fNIRS) as assessment measures of the Mind-over-Mirro intervention.
- Collaborated on the international consensus project defining Orthorexia Nervosa, integrating ACT-informed perspectives on disordered eating.
- Collaborated in different projects working with CBS prcesses and interventions.
3. Education, Supervision, and Teaching
- Lecturer in the Advanced Specialization in Eating Disorders (CRIAP Institute).
- Collaborates in the Supervision and mentoring of Master’s students Internships and Dissertation with a focus on contextual-behavioral research and interventions.
4. Clinical Practice and Application of CBS in Therapy
- Provided ACT- and CFT-based psychotherapy for individuals experiencing body image distress, disordered eating, and anxiety-related conditions.
- Applied contextual behavioral science principles in clinical settings, bridging research with direct patient care.
- Collaborates with colleagues in supervision and intervision groups, focusing on sharing and learning hands-on knowledge on contextual-behavioral intervention tools and techniques.
5. Community Engagement and ACT-Based Outreach
- Led training programs for new volunteers and professionals working with at-risk youth, integrating ACT principles into community-based groups.
- Organized and presented research findings at international conferences, contributing to the dissemination of ACT-based approaches in body image and eating disorders.
Autobiography:
I was born in Coimbra (yes, like my last name), Portugal, and grew up in a rural village nearby. I spent most of my academic life in Coimbra before briefly moving to Lisbon at the start of my career. However, I soon returned to pursue my Ph.D. with CINEICC at FPCE-UC.
As a Clinical Psychologist and Ph.D. candidate, I am dedicated to developing contextual-behavioral interventions across diverse populations and settings. My research and clinical work primarily focus on body image and eating behavior, leading to multiple peer-reviewed publications, including a new body image flexibility measure - the Psy-Flex-BI.
My Ph.D. project, When the Mirror is Wrong, is the first study on Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) in Portugal. It involves developing and implementing the Mind-over-Mirror intervention, an innovative ACT- and compassion-based group intervention for adults with BDD. By integrating clinical and basic psychology, the project also incorporates neuropsychological tasks and neuroimaging methods (fNIRS) to enhance assessment. This research is supported by an individual grant from the Foundation for Science and Technology.
Beyond academia, I have been deeply involved in community service for over a decade, volunteering with a national nonprofit dedicated to bridging together youth from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Previously, I earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with a subspecialization in Cognitive and Behavioral Interventions and a post-graduate diploma in third-generation therapies (Mindfulness, CFT, ACT). Before pursuing Psychology, I once dreamed of becoming a primatologist, driven by a lifelong fascination with animals—especially orangutans and chimpanzees, which still stands today.
Future:
I hope to continue my clinical and research work, perhaps focusing more on teaching and directly working on the development and facilitation of CBS tools and programmes for at-risk youth.
Links to any relevant publications you have participated in:
1. Coimbra, M., Cunha, M., Ganho-Ávila, A., & Ferreira, C. (2025). Navigating body image flexibility: Psy-Flex scale for body image and its utility in differentiating severity levels of disordered eating and body dysmorphia symptomatology. Eating Behaviors ,57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2025.101969
2. Santos-Pereira, G., Coimbra, M., & Ferreira, C. (2024). From shame to dysmorphic concern and anxiety: the role of body image-related psychological flexibility. Clinical Psychologist, 28(3), 243–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/13284207.2024.2390398
3. Saraiva, M., Oliveira, S., Coimbra, M., & Ferreira, C. (2024). Understanding sport anxiety among competitive athletes: the role of shame, fear of self-compassion and self-criticism. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2024.2308861
4. Mendes, A. L., Coimbra, M., Canavarro, C., & Ferreira, C. (2024). How do early affiliative memories explain body image shame? A 12-month longitudinal study in adolescent girls. Appetite, 200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107576
5. Oliveira, M.F., Coimbra, M. & Ferreira, C. (2024). How does the experience of shame impact body dysmorphic symptomatology? Exploring the role of mindfulness and body image-related cognitive fusion. Current Psychology, 43, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05385-4
6. Matos, M., Coimbra, M., & Ferreira, C. (2023). When body dysmorphia symptomatology meets disordered eating: The role of shame and self-criticism. Appetite, 186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2023.106552.
7. Donini, L.M., Barrada, J.R., Barthels, F. et al. (2022). A consensus document on definition and diagnostic criteria for orthorexia nervosa. Eating and Weight Disorders 27, 3695–3711. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-022-01512-5
8. Mendes, A.L., Coimbra, M., Canavarro, M.C. et al. (2022). The powerful effect of body image inflexibility on the explanation of eating psychopathology severity. Eating and Weight Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-021-01233-1
9. Cunha, M., Oliveira, S., Coimbra, M., & Ferreira, C. (2022). Assessing Psychological Inflexibility in Adolescents: A Validation Study of the Portuguese Short Version of the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth. Child Youth Care Forum 52, 123–138. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-022-09679-9
10. Coimbra, M., Paixão, C., & Ferreira, C. (2022). Exploring eating and exercise-related indicators during COVID-19 quarantine in Portugal: concerns and routine changes in women with different BMI. Eating and Weight Disorders, 27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-021-01163-y
11. Coimbra, M. & Ferreira, C. (2021) Making the leap from healthy to disordered eating: the role of intuitive and inflexible eating attitudes in orthorexic behaviours among women. Eating and Weight Disorders, 26, 1793–1800. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-00998-1
12. Coimbra, M., & Ferreira, C. (2021). Understanding the omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, and paleo dietary patterns: How they differ in disordered eating indicators. Revista Portuguesa De Investigação Comportamental E Social, 7(1), 41–51. https://doi.org/10.31211/rpics.2021.7.1.205
13. Ferreira, C., Matos-Pina, I., Cardoso, A., Coimbra, M., & Oliveira, S. (2021). Can the lack of early memories of warmth and safeness explain loneliness and quality of life? A community sample study on young and middle-aged Portuguese adults. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01649-z
14. Ferreira, C. & Coimbra, M. (2021). To further understand orthorexia nervosa: DOS validity for the Portuguese population and its relationship with psychological indicators, sex, BMI and dietary pattern. Eating and Weight Disorders, 26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-01058-4