Therapy for life abroad
You moved for the role, for a partner, for the city, or for the next chapter. On paper it worked. And yet something did not come with you, or something came along that you never packed.
When a move changes more than the address
A relocation is presented as logistics: the contract, the apartment, the schools, the registration at the gemeente. The psychological part arrives later, often six months to two years in, when the novelty has gone and the effort remains. People describe a flatness they cannot explain, a short temper, a sense of performing a life rather than living it. Many have handled far harder things before, and are surprised that this one does not resolve on its own.
It does not resolve on its own because the move removed what used to hold things in place: the friend who noticed before you did, the family rhythm, the shared jokes, the language you think in. What remains are the strategies you brought with you. Work harder. Need no one. Keep it together. Abroad, those strategies are taxed every day, and they hold until they don't.
What people bring to us
Loneliness behind a full calendar. A partner who followed and is not doing well, or a relationship strained by the move. Distance from ageing parents, and the guilt of not being there. A career that went abroad well while the rest of life did not. Dutch directness that lands as rejection, and the fatigue of decoding a culture all day. The question of staying, returning, or moving again.
The partner who followed
Many couples move for one career. The other person gives up a network, a profession, sometimes a language, and is expected to be grateful for the adventure. Months later both are exhausted: one carrying the job, the other carrying the empty days. Neither can say it without it sounding like blame. Individual work helps each person see what they have lost and what they need, so the conversation at home stops going in circles.
How the work goes
The first sessions deal with what is happening now and what you need to get through the coming weeks: sleep, energy, the argument that keeps repeating. Then we look underneath. Why did this move touch what it touched? Which old pattern did it wake up? Some people come for a defined period around a transition. Others stay longer because the move opened questions that were waiting long before they arrived.
We say what we see, plainly and without delay. You did not come to be agreed with.
Sessions last fifty minutes, in a private room on the Sarphatistraat in central Amsterdam.
In your own language
Some things are only accurate in your first language. Sessions are held in English or French, and you can move between the two. Many internationals think in one language at work and feel in another. Read about psychotherapy in French
Questions people ask
Do I need a referral from a Dutch GP?
No. Aurore Counseling is a private practice, not contracted with Dutch health insurers. You contact us directly.
Will my insurer or my employer know?
No. Nothing is sent to your insurer, and your employer is not involved unless you choose to involve them. How discretion works here
I am not sure this is serious enough for therapy.
If it is costing you sleep, closeness or clarity, it is worth a conversation. Outline your situation and we will tell you honestly whether the work fits here.
How soon can I start?
We reply within one working day. If the work can happen here, we call you to arrange a first session.
To start
Outline your situation in a few lines. If the work can happen here, we will call you.
