Skip to content

An Expat Psychologist; Finding a Therapist Who’ll Understand

The world looks very different from only a couple of decades ago. It has become very common for families to find themselves scattered all across the globe:

  • Graduates seek out adventure and opportunity in other countries.
  • A spouse is forced to spend months away from a partner and their children due to a job opportunity abroad that might relieve some financial pressures.
  • Digital nomads call yet another country “home” for the next three months.
  • People fall in love and exchange the familiar for a completely different culture and country.
  • And the ambitious, career-driven man/woman skyrockets their way, not only to the top, but to a completely different country.

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, we all know someone who fits one of the scenarios above. Or maybe you are the person described in one of these scenarios; an expat.

It’s not easy being an expat, even though it might seem exotic and exciting (especially on social media):

  • Expats are faced with a lot of confusing feelings and mixed emotions.
  • They are faced with many challenges brought on by a new culture and new surroundings.
  • Expats have to break through language barriers and constantly convert currencies.
  • They have to face some of the most trying times of their lives completely alone in a foreign country without any of their usual support network to turn to.

Its times like these that expat’s wish they had someone with an empathetic ear and who could offer a little guidance. But where would you find someone like this in a country where you are surrounded by strangers? Well, you go to the pros of course.

But this is where most expats hit another bunch of roadblocks:

  • Where do you find a qualified and experienced therapist in a place where you’re still trying to figure out where to catch a bus?
  • Even if you do manage to find the right person; how much will get lost in translation if you’re in a country where English is not a native language?
  • What would an appointment like that look like in a country where the cultural differences can be quite vast? If you are thinking of literally letting your hair down in front of your therapist, it might not be acceptable or appropriate in the specific country you’re residing in.
  • What would traveling to an appointment like that look like? How many buses, taxis, tubes, trains and ferries would it take? How long will a trip like that be? And how much is it going to cost?  
  • A crisis doesn’t keep office hours, so what happens if I need to reach out at 2 in the morning? You’re pretty sure that ringing up a professional at that hour is frown upon in most societies.
  • How will they ever be able to understand? How will they ever be able to relate? It doesn’t matter how qualified or experienced the psychologist is. If they haven’t actually experienced being an expat and what that entails, they will struggle to truly comprehend the struggles that goes with it.

Well, what if we could offer you the solutions to all of your problems (referring to the above mentioned, of course, we still can’t find the other sock in the washing machine either)? What if we could not only offer you the ultimate Expat Psychologist, but 25 of them?! Here’s what we at Personal Online Therapy can promise you:

We are all expats

Our psychologists have at one stage lived or is currently still living in a foreign country. Whether you want to discuss the relationship you had to leave behind, a close family member’s funeral you couldn’t attend or just vent about how you can’t stand the smell of one more Durian – trust me, we get it.

Time is irrelevant

No, we’re not getting into quantum physics here. Since our entire team of professionals is situated all over the world, we are available 24/7, no matter your time zone.

Nothing gets lost in translation

Another perk of dealing with an expat psychologist is that we are multi-lingual. We are able to support you in English, Dutch, German, French and Spanish.

We are culturally competent

Since our team has lived all over the world, we have a lot of practical experience with and an above average understanding of various cultures.

No need to get dressed

Well, technically you’ll need to be dressed or at least covered in something otherwise things will just be weird. But there’s absolutely no reason why you need to get all spruced up in order to leave the house, because your appointment with your expat psychologist will occur online!

This is a safe space

You can rest at ease; you will find no judgement here. We are professionals and your expat psychologist’s main priority is to offer you support and guidance on your road of healing and self-development.

The world revolves around you… at least for a little while

You have full control over your appointments; decide whether your expat psychologist sessions are done via phone call, video call or mail. You can even choose which platform or software you would like to use for your appointment i.e. Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp etc. Everything about your session is custom-made & built around you and your needs & requirements. Therefore, even though a standard session is 45 minutes long, you get to have the final say as to how short or long you would like your appointment to be.

“I don’t wanna wait…” (*mutes Dawson Creek theme song)

Yes, we know. Nobody wants to wait and that’s why at Personal Therapy Online you don’t have to wait around in a waiting room with uncomfortable chairs, pan flute music on repeat and 10 year old magazines on a table. You’ll also never be put on a waiting list for 2 – 3 months (which is pretty standard when it comes to scheduling an appointment with a specialist). With us you can actually chat to us when you need us the most.

Take us for a spin

We offer you your first introductory appointment absolutely free of charge. This way, you can get the opportunity to experience how proficient your expat psychologist really is in our field and vet whether we’ll be a good match for you.

You WILL find your perfect expat psychologist match

Our team consists of 25 professionals. If you feel like the first therapist you spoke to doesn’t quite match your personality or meet your specific needs and requirements, there are still 24 other specialists waiting in the wings to offer you support. You WILL find your perfect expat psychologist match at Personal Therapy Online.

We are educated AS (after school)

ALL of our expat psychologists can boast with an official university qualification and at least 5 years of practical experience in the field.

Our lips are sealed

We have a high regard for your personal data. That is why all our sessions are treated as highly confidential and none of your details are shared to a central database or with third parties. And if you’d still prefer to remain anonymous, you are also more than welcome to do so.

Age doesn’t matter

Be honest; that made you feel good, right? But it’s true. At Personal Therapy Online our Expat Psychologists are able to provide support to individuals of all ages; from children to senior citizens.

We can do it all

Because we have such a large team with so many years of experience we can offer various types of support from short-term coaching to long-term psychotherapy. We can also help you address and navigate a wide variety of problem areas such as anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, autism, ad(h)d, rocky relationships and much, much more. Are you just looking for a professional diagnoses? We are able to do personality type testing as well as assess for autism and ad(h)d.

We are a part of something much larger

If push comes to shove and there is a need to get another external specialist involved, we are part of a big network of highly qualified and experienced professionals. Your Expat Psychologist will easily be able to refer you.

Two for the price of one

We don’t only focus on individual therapy and treatment sessions. We also offer relationship coaching and Couples Counselling.

So you see, not only can you easily get into contact with an expat psychologist, but you can also do so from the comfort of your own couch. For further inquiries or to book your free introductory appointment, please contact us on info@personalonlinetherapy.com, or alternatively, simply complete the form below:

    )

    Contact
    close slider