Many people dream of it: emigrating. Some just do it – for work, love, or adventure. But no matter how much fun it seems, you may also find yourself uncomfortable in a foreign country. Maybe that’s even because of emigration and expat life. An online therapist can help you then. Wherever you have moved to.
Psychological problems after emigration
- Emigration is quite a drastic event that many people underestimate. Of course, you know that when you go abroad you will have to deal with a different language and culture. That you will have to make new friends and miss friends and family in the Netherlands. That you probably have a lot to figure out and arrange. But often we don’t think about the psychological impact of all this or the consequences. Especially if several problems arise at the same time.
- Saying goodbye: saying goodbye to friends and family and your old life in the Netherlands is more radical than you might have expected. You can compare it with a mourning process. No matter how nice your new life will be, you will also lose a life. Many expats do not allow themselves the time to grieve.
- Change of routine and environment: we sometimes don’t think about it, but we are all creatures of habit to a certain degree. When all those habits change in one fell swoop, our system is upset for a while. Moreover, your new life does not run smoothly right away: you forget to charge your phone, your debit card does not work at the supermarket, the mail has not arrived on time, etc.
- The stress of arranging things: a house, registration, job, car, health insurance, bank account, mobile phone contract … the list of things you need to arrange seems endless. What’s more, things work differently in other countries than they do in the Netherlands. This causes a lot of stress.
- Uncertainty: If you don’t speak the language, don’t understand the culture yet, and don’t know exactly how everything works, you can become very insecure. It is also difficult to feel at home when everything shows that you are still an outsider.
- Identity crisis: without your old job, old sports activities, old social life, and old habits, what will remain of your identity? We often link our identity to our jobs and hobbies. Emigrating means that you have to reinvent yourself. This can be uncomfortable. Who are you and what do you want your life to look like?
- Lack of social safety net: of course your friends and family in the Netherlands are still there for you, but they don’t really understand. Building a new social safety net takes time.
- Suppressing emotions: Moreover, friends and family back home often have the idea that you have it all well and your life is great. And isn’t that true? You have chosen to emigrate and perhaps you are actually living in your dream destination. This can give you the feeling that you have no right to complain. As a result, expat problems are often ignored for a long time.
Online expat therapist
It is perfectly normal to have trouble getting on with life for a while after emigration. However, the problems worsen if they are not taken seriously. Feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and stress can eventually turn into depression – something that is much more common among expats than among people in the Netherlands.
Fortunately, nowadays there is the possibility of going to therapy with an online therapist. This has many advantages. It is easy to arrange, you can follow the therapy from home and the conversations are in Dutch. Our expat therapists are expats or former expats themselves and therefore know better than anyone what you are struggling with. It is also possible to follow therapy with a therapist in your time zone – handy, if you end up on the other side of the world.
Online therapy abroad
Online therapy works basically in the same way as the traditional, offline version. During an intake meeting, you get to know the therapist and together you map out your problems and goals. Based on this, the expat therapist draws up a treatment plan.
Treatment from an expat therapist
Often the treatment revolves around identifying and breaking through obstructive thought patterns. In this way, you learn to think more in terms of possibilities, to have confidence in yourself, and to find yourself again. Many online therapists give assignments. Once you feel more comfortable in your own skin, it will become easier to adapt to your new environment, make new friends, and deal with any setbacks!
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Request an online consultation with one of our trusted online therapists.