Psychotherapist for Expats in Europe Online · Barcelona · Sant Cugat
I’m Shai, an English-speaking psychotherapist offering therapy for expats and internationals navigating life abroad.
I support adults facing cultural adjustment, relationship difficulties, self-esteem challenges, anxiety, trauma, and the transitions of parenthood. I work online with clients across Europe and offer in-person sessions in Sant Cugat, in the Barcelona area.
I offer an integrative, trauma-informed approach that is down to earth and adapted to you, combining Psychodynamic, CBT, and ACT therapy with tools from EMDR.
I believe in the healing power of human relationships, and in each person´s ability to heal themselves, given the adequate tools and conditions to do so.
Feel free to contact me to arrange a short introductory call - to consult or explore whether beginning therapy together feels right.
Professional Qualifications:
Integrative CBT Psychotherapy, Haifa University, online program
M.A Art Psychotherapy, Goldsmith´s University, London
B.A Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Israel
Advanced acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) Training, Haifa University, online program
EMDR Training, Level 1, The EMDR institute of Israel.
Birth Oriented Thinking level 1 and 2, The B.O.T, organization that offers knowledge and training programs for birth professionals and therapists
Adults Abroad
There are times in life when we need more support.
Sometimes the reasons for seeking therapy are clear. You may be going through a difficult experience, facing a major change, or feeling overwhelmed. At other times, the reasons are harder to name. Our mind and body begin to signal that something isn't quite right: thoughts race, sleep is disrupted, or we feel tense, low, or disconnected from ourselves.
Starting therapy is not always easy. It asks for a certain amount of courage, reaching out to someone you don't yet know and allowing yourself to pause and turn towards what you're experiencing. And in that willingness, something begins to shift. Within a supportive and relational space, we can reflect, deepen our understanding, and develop greater self-compassion and a growing sense of choice and freedom.
Having moved between countries myself, I often work with people navigating life transitions, including moving and settling in a new country. Living abroad is a unique journey that brings its own layers of complexity: cultural adjustment, shifts in identity, changes in relationships, and distance from familiar support systems.
People also come to me experiencing a range of difficulties: in relationships or social situations, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive difficulties, low mood, or depression. I also work with those who identify with ADHD traits or have a diagnosis, and those who recognize themselves as highly sensitive people, with all that that brings.
If you are thinking of starting therapy, you are welcome to reach out to book a first session, or a short call to consult and decide if we are a good fit for therapy.
Parents & Birth
Becoming a parent is a profound life transition. It can affect the emotional, hormonal, physical, and social aspects of our lives, and often changes how we relate to ourselves and to others.
Parenthood can bring a wide range of emotions, sometimes even contradictory ones. Alongside joy and love, there may also be moments of frustration, guilt, anger, or doubt.
Therefore, I think it's only natural to seek more support during this time. A safe and non-judgmental place that makes space for pain and struggles, and at the same time, helps find one´s strength and gain confidence.
Many parents experience moments of anxiety, emotional overwhelm, or uncertainty as they adjust to this new stage of life. And for those of us living abroad, parenthood can sometimes feel even more demanding and isolating.
My work with parents began early in my professional journey while supporting children and their parents. After becoming a mother myself, I became more aware of how little space there often is to speak about birth experiences and the impact they can have on our well-being and mental health. This led me to further study birth-oriented therapy and to accompany women in processing their birth experiences and their transition into parenthood.
Parental therapy offers a space to explore our experiences as parents. By taking time to look inward and understand our own reactions, patterns, and needs, we can begin to respond to our children with greater awareness, confidence, and care, strengthening both our relationship with ourselves and with them.
I offer individual therapy throughout the cycle of parenthood, from trying to conceive, through pregnancy and postpartum, and into the different stages of parenting. Therapy does not always need to be a long process. Sometimes a few sessions focused on a specific experience can already be meaningful and supportive.
If you would like to explore whether therapy might be helpful for you at this time, you are welcome to contact me for a free consultation call.