An English-speaking counsellor for women living in Portugal

I am an English-speaking counsellor offering person-centred counselling by secure video to women living anywhere in Portugal. I am a trainee counsellor based in the UK, a BACP student member, and I work under regular clinical supervision. Sessions cost £45, charged in pounds. This is counselling delivered from the UK. It is not part of the SNS, and I am not a registered psicóloga in Portugal.

Finding an English-speaking therapist in Portugal

At the end of 2025, Portugal had 1,585,854 foreign residents, according to the migration and asylum agency AIMA. That count includes people with valid residence permits and some whose applications were still being processed.

If you live in Lisbon, my Lisbon page looks at the city in more detail. This page is for the national picture, and for anyone in Porto, the Algarve, Madeira, the Azores or a quiet town in the interior.

People come to Portugal for very different reasons: work, family, study, retirement, or simply a wish to live somewhere gentler. You can be glad you came and still find yourself homesick on a Sunday afternoon. Both can be true. My free resources for living abroad collect checked self-help for that, and my guide on how to find a therapist abroad covers what to ask before you choose anyone, local or online.

How mental health care works in Portugal

Your way into the national health service, the SNS, is your health user number, the número de utente, and your local health centre. The government's health guide explains that a family doctor at the health centre follows your health over time and can refer you on to specialists when needed. If you don't yet have a family doctor, you can still be seen by another health professional.

For anything that isn't an emergency, the government advises calling SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24 before going to a hospital. SNS 24 also runs a psychological counselling service on the same number. In April 2022 the government announced that this counselling was also available in English.

The government guide also mentions Cuida-te, a free psychology counselling cheque for people aged 12 to 35.

Beyond that, how quickly you see a psychologist or psychiatrist through the SNS depends a lot on your region and your health centre. I couldn't find an official national waiting time figure, so I won't guess one. Most of the system works in Portuguese.

Psychologists in Portugal, and why I am a counsellor

The professional body for psychologists in Portugal is the Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses, which publishes a directory of psychologists. If you want to see a psychologist in Portugal, the directory is a reasonable place to check that someone is registered.

I am not a member of the Ordem, and I don't call myself a psicóloga. I am a trainee person-centred counsellor, studying for an MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy at Keele University, and a student member of the BACP. I see clients online from the UK under regular clinical supervision. My fee is lower than a qualified practitioner's because I am still in training.

My sessions are not part of the SNS. If you have private or international health insurance, ask your insurer directly before assuming anything about cover.

Online therapy in English in Portugal: how it works

If you have been looking for an English therapist in Portugal, or for therapy for expats in Portugal in your own language, this is what working with me looks like.

We meet by secure video for 50 minutes. You need a private space and a stable connection. Mainland Portugal and Madeira share UK time all year, so there is no time difference to work around. The Azores are one hour behind. Evening sessions (UK time) are available, in English, and you can read what to expect in your first counselling session beforehand.

The fee is £45 per session, charged in pounds, and your bank may add a conversion fee. I keep a few low-cost places for students, trainees and people on low income. I ask for 48 hours' notice to cancel. You can read the fees page or book a first session.

What counselling with me is like

I work in a person-centred way. I don't diagnose, and I won't tell you what to do with your life. I'll listen, try to understand how things are for you, and trust you to find your own answers.

You might want to talk about identity and belonging, about expat loneliness, or about the guilt of building a life far from parents who are getting older. You don't need to have it worked out before you come. If you'd like a quiet first step, the three-question loneliness test is private and scored in your browser.

When online counselling isn't the right support

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, please contact SNS 24, your family doctor or the numbers below. The family doctor at your health centre is also the route to psychologists and psychiatrists within the SNS.

If you don't feel safe at home, please don't wait for a counselling slot. My page on domestic abuse and women's safety lists free, checked support, and the helplines in Portugal page gives national lines with their hours and languages.

Crisis support in Portugal

If you are in danger now, call 112.

• Linha Nacional de Prevenção do Suicídio, 1411. For thoughts of suicide or self-harm. Free, 24 hours a day, answered by clinical psychologists and mental health nurses.
• SNS 24, 808 24 24 24. The national health line, with clinical staff available 24 hours a day. Its psychological counselling service is also available in English.
• SOS Voz Amiga, 213 544 545. Emotional support every day from 3:30pm to 12:30am. Mobile numbers: 912 802 669, 963 524 660 and 930 712 500. The website doesn't list languages.
• Voz de Apoio, 225 50 60 70. Every evening from 9pm to midnight, by phone in Portuguese.

If you live in Lisbon, my page of support services in Lisbon lists local crisis, mental health and women's services.

These details were checked on the websites listed below on 19 October 2026.