Therapy in Leiden, Amsterdam and Online for Expats Navigating Life Abroad
Living abroad can bring things to the surface you weren't expecting. Anxiety that grew after the move, a sense of not quite belonging anywhere, or questions about who you are now that your context has changed.
You don't have to navigate that alone.
From Google reviews of the practice
“From the moment I walked in, the environment felt welcoming, calm, and professional. Eva is thoughtful, attentive, and genuinely invested in helping me grow.”
— Jerry, Google review
“Eva creates a safe and non-judgmental space where it's easy to open up, even about difficult topics. Her approach to therapy is both professional and compassionate.”
— Nika G., Google review
“The therapist is really professional, knows what she's doing and can guide you without being intrusive. At the same time, she creates such a relaxed atmosphere that you can really open up.”
— Leila B., Google review (translated)
A note from Eva
Living far from where you started changes you in ways that are difficult to articulate, even to yourself. Small things begin to feel different — the language, the way people interact, the social dynamics you once took for granted. Often the people closest to you don't fully understand what it feels like to hold two worlds at once, without entirely belonging to either.
That experience rarely announces itself as a crisis. It tends to come up unnoticed as a flatness, a restlessness, a feeling that something has shifted but you can't name what. I work with people in exactly that place, often through individual therapy or expat-focused work. If you're curious whether this kind of work might be useful, I'd welcome the conversation.
— Eva
What relocation can quietly do
These experiences aren't symptoms of weakness — they're the ordinary cost of an extraordinary kind of change.
What we can work on together
Moving abroad reshapes the context in which you understand yourself — your relationships, your sense of competence, your place in the world. For many people this produces something without a clean name: a persistent undercurrent of surprising loneliness, anxiety without an obvious source, a creeping sense that your life has stopped feeling like your own — something often explored in expat therapy.
Therapy doesn't require a diagnosis or a defined problem. The concerns I most often work with include anxiety after a move or major life change — often explored in individual therapy — questions of identity and belonging, relationship difficulties, grief, trauma, and the loss of direction or meaning. If you're unsure whether your situation fits, the introductory call is the place to find out.
What working together actually looks like
The first session — whether in online therapy or in person — isn't an assessment. It offers a chance to talk about what's been weighing on you and to see whether this feels like a space worth returning to. You don't need to prepare anything or arrive with the right words.
- 1 Reach out A short form — it takes about two minutes.
- 2 Free 15-minute introductory call Ask questions and get a sense of how I work. No cost, no obligation.
- 3 Begin, if it feels right Individual sessions are 50 minutes at €125; couples sessions €165–195.
About Eva
I'm a logotherapist and mental health practitioner specialising in work with expats navigating anxiety, identity, and life in transition. My clinical training included approximately 800 hours of supervised practice, and my current research explores the phenomenology of psychotherapy.
I work in English and Slovene — online with clients across Europe, and in person in Leiden and Amsterdam.
- PhD Candidate — Phenomenology of Therapeutic Practice (current)
- MA in Philosophy — with clinical focus
- Clinical Training — Sigmund Freud University Ljubljana
- Logotherapy Accreditation — Viktor Frankl Institute
Therapy services — in Leiden, Amsterdam and online
Ontara Therapy offers individual and couples therapy in Leiden, Amsterdam and online across the Netherlands and Europe. Each service is designed around the specific challenges of living abroad — whether you're navigating anxiety, relationship strain, identity questions, or the weight of relocation itself.
Individual Therapy
Individual therapy in Leiden and online for expats and adults navigating anxiety, burnout, identity shifts, grief, or life transitions. Depth-oriented work that explores what lies beneath and builds lasting clarity.
Couples Therapy
Couples therapy in Leiden and online for partners facing relationship strain, communication difficulties, or the particular pressures of building life together abroad. Sessions explore what lies underneath to support understanding and direction.
Online Therapy
Online therapy from Leiden, available across the Netherlands and Europe. Secure video in English or Slovene — accessible, confidential, and as consistent and effective as in-person work.
Expat Therapy
Expat therapy in Leiden and online, supporting loneliness, identity shifts, cultural disorientation, and relocation stress. A reflective space to slow down and make sense of life abroad, then regain direction.
On working online
Online therapy works. For the concerns most people bring, the research is consistent: outcomes are comparable to in-person work. For expats it removes the friction of navigating a new city or finding a local therapist in a language that isn't yours. Sessions are encrypted, never recorded, and fully confidential. If privacy at home is a concern, we can talk through it before we begin.
In person in Leiden and Amsterdam
Online sessions remain the primary way I work, and they suit most people well. For those who prefer to meet face to face, I hold in-person sessions at two quiet studios — in Leiden, and at a newly opened practice space in Amsterdam. Both are private, calm, and separate from a clinical or medical environment: the same unhurried atmosphere as online, simply in a shared room.
In-person availability is limited. If you'd like to meet in Leiden or Amsterdam, mention your preferred city when you book your first session and we can arrange it from there.
Leiden
Groene Maredijk 100, 2334 CT LeidenA quiet garden studio a short cycle from Leiden Centraal, with sessions in English and Slovene.
Amsterdam
Sarphatistraat 14, 1017 WS AmsterdamA newly opened practice space near Frederiksplein, a few minutes' walk from Weesperplein metro station.
Common questions before a first session
Do I need a referral from a huisarts (GP)?
No. You can book directly — no referral is needed and there is no waiting list. Many people reach out precisely because they'd rather not wait months for support through the GGZ system.
Do you accept health insurance?
Sessions are private-pay and are not reimbursed by Dutch health insurance providers. The first step is a completely free 15-minute introductory call, with no obligation to continue afterward.
What happens in the first session?
It's a conversation, not an assessment. We talk about what's brought you here and whatever feels most present. You're welcome to share as much or as little as feels right. At the end you decide whether you'd like to continue.
This begins with a conversation
The first step is a free 15-minute introductory call, with no obligation to continue. If you've been thinking about therapy for a while without quite getting there, the call is designed to make that step a little easier — ask questions, get a sense of how I work, and decide in your own time.
Book a Free 15-Minute Introductory Call Or call directly: +31 6 24 78 08 77 Sessions can be rescheduled up to 24 hours in advance. All sessions are confidential and GDPR-compliant.