An English-speaking counsellor for women living in Europe

I am an English-speaking counsellor offering online counselling to women living across Europe, by secure video from the UK. I am a trainee person-centred counsellor, a BACP student member, and I work under regular clinical supervision. Sessions cost £45, charged in pounds. Below you can find your country or city, with notes on how the local system works and which crisis lines answer in English.

Why look for an English-speaking counsellor abroad?

Moving to another country changes more than your address. You might have moved for a partner's job, for your own career, for study, or for love. Some years later you may speak the language well enough for the supermarket and the school gate, but not for the things that really hurt.

That can be the moment to look for a counsellor who works in English. Not because the local services are poor, but because some feelings are hard to find words for in a second language. If you are still weighing up local options, my guide on how to find a therapist abroad sets out the usual routes.

These pages are written mainly for women, especially women living abroad and women from families where duty and closeness run deep. Men are welcome to get in touch too. You might recognise yourself in the pages on expat loneliness or on being the trailing spouse.

How online counselling from the UK works across Europe

I work from the UK. Sessions take place by secure video. If you are wondering whether that is allowed, my guide can a UK counsellor see clients abroad? explains what I have to check. I am not part of the healthcare system in the country where you live, and I don't hold local professional titles such as Psychotherapeutin, psychologue or psychotherapeut. I call what I offer counselling, because that is what it is.

I am a trainee, and I say so. I am studying for an MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy at Keele University and I am a student member of the BACP. I work under regular clinical supervision, which means a qualified supervisor reviews my work with clients in confidence. You can read more about me and how I work.

The fee is £45, charged in pounds. Each session lasts 50 minutes. Your bank may convert the amount and add a small fee. I keep a few low-cost places for students, trainees and people on low income. I ask for 48 hours' notice to cancel. The details are on the fees page.

Time zones are simple. The UK and the countries listed here change their clocks on the same Sundays in March and October. Most of the countries listed here, including Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Spain and Luxembourg, are one hour ahead of the UK all year. Mainland Portugal shares UK time. When you book a session, check that the booking page shows your own time zone.

Local insurance usually won't pay. Public health insurance in these countries generally reimburses care from locally registered professionals. Please don't count on getting money back for sessions with me. Each country page explains how the local route works, so you can weigh it up.

English-speaking counselling by country and city

Each page looks at the national system for someone whose local language isn't strong: how to get a referral, what insurance pays for, which titles are protected, and what is known about waiting times. Where a city has its own page, it adds local detail. Every page lists crisis numbers that have been checked against official sources, with the date they were checked. The full list is in the mental health helplines directory, country by country.

You can start with a country, such as Germany or the Netherlands, or go straight to a city page like Vienna, Paris or Zurich. All of them are listed on this page.

If you are unsure whether online counselling would suit you, the short self-check may help. The free loneliness test takes a minute, and the free resources for expats and migrants are worth a look whatever you decide. You can also read about online therapy for expats more generally.

When online counselling isn't the right support

Online counselling from another country isn't the right setting for every situation. I don't provide crisis care, and I don't work with active suicidal intent, psychosis, eating disorders, addiction treatment, specialist trauma treatment, couples or children. If any of these apply, your local doctor and the crisis lines on each country page are the right place to start.

If you are in danger now, call 112. It works free of charge everywhere in the EU.