Nise da Silveira

Brazilian psychiatrist who revolutionized mental health treatment through art therapy

Nise da Silveira (1905–1999) transformed psychiatric care in Brazil by rejecting electroshock and lobotomy practices. Her pioneering work at Rio de Janeiro's Centro Psiquiátrico Nacional established the first art therapy workshop (Museu de Imagens do Inconsciente) in 1946.

Through Jungian-inspired methods, she demonstrated that artistic expression could reveal subconscious patterns in schizophrenia patients. Her 1952 film Imagens do Inconsciente, created with patient artworks, won international acclaim and influenced global mental health reforms.

Da Silveira's Casa das Palmeiras (1956) became Latin America's first therapeutic day center. The Guardian recognized her as 'the psychiatrist who humanized madness'. Her work inspired the 2015 biopic Nise: The Heart of Madness, exposing her resistance to authoritarian medical practices.