Transições de vida e vida no exterior

Life Transitions & Living Abroad

Moving countries can change how you feel about yourself, your relationships and your place in the world. You might have chosen this life and still find parts of it unexpectedly hard.

At Village Therapy, we offer therapy for internationals and expats in Copenhagen and online. We work with homesickness, cultural adjustment, loneliness and the wider changes that can leave you wondering where you belong.

When Life Abroad Feels Harder Than You Expected

Missing people who have known you for years

You may have work, a home and a familiar routine in Denmark, but still miss having someone nearby who has known you for years. Friendships can take time to develop. A quick conversation with your family may require coordinating time zones, and seeing them means booking flights.

When you depend on a Danish partner

Perhaps you were used to feeling capable and independent, and now rely on your Danish partner to interpret letters, make phone calls or explain how things work. Even when they are happy to help, that dependence can affect your confidence and the balance between you.

Parenting far from home

Parenting can bring these feelings into sharper focus. You may be raising children without grandparents nearby, missing the everyday help you imagined having, or watching your children grow up with a language and childhood different from your own.

Cultural adjustment at work and at home

Cultural misunderstandings can also accumulate. A conversation at work leaves you unsure whether someone was being direct or dismissive. You and your partner disagree about family obligations, hospitality or how to raise your children. You spend time explaining things that once felt obvious.

Deciding whether to stay in Denmark

You might also be unsure whether you want to stay. Leaving would mean giving up parts of the life you have built, while staying may involve losses that other people struggle to understand.

These are all things you can bring to therapy.

Support with life transitions: new jobs, parenthood, separation and loss

A new job, parenthood, separation, bereavement or a change in your health can unsettle your sense of who you are. Some changes happen suddenly. Others become noticeable slowly, as you realise that the life you are living no longer fits.

Living abroad can add another layer to those experiences. You may be making important decisions far from the people you would usually turn to, or trying to manage a difficult period without familiar support.

Therapy gives you time to understand what has changed, what you are grieving and what you need now. You can come with mixed feelings, unfinished thoughts and questions you do not yet know how to answer.

Culturally sensitive therapy: what we can work on together

Sessions can focus on belonging, identity, relationships, anxiety, grief or the strain of constant adaptation. We may explore how you see yourself, what you expect of yourself and the patterns that become stronger when you feel uncertain or alone.

The work can also be practical: expressing your needs to a partner, setting boundaries with family abroad, finding ways to build connection or thinking through a decision about where to live.

Our therapists bring different approaches. Some work primarily through conversation and reflection; others also pay attention to bodily responses, emotional patterns and practical skills. Together, you can agree on a focus that makes sense for you.

You do not need to decide whether your difficulties are caused by living abroad before starting. We can explore how your circumstances, relationships and personal history fit together.

Why Village Therapy exists

Village Therapy was founded by Ariel Andersen, an American psychotherapist who moved to Denmark with her Danish spouse in 2022.

Ariel wanted to build a group practice where internationals could find different languages, professional backgrounds and ways of working in one place. After struggling to find the kind of professional community she was looking for, she decided to create it.

The name Village reflects the support we can lose when we move abroad: familiar people, shared history and someone nearby to turn to. That experience informs the practice’s emphasis on community, choice and taking time to understand each person’s circumstances.

Our clinicians bring their own experiences of living across countries and cultures. We approach yours with curiosity, knowing that the same move can mean very different things to different people.

Find a place to begin

You may have just arrived in Denmark or have lived here for years. You’re welcome to bring what feels difficult now.

Browse the therapists above or contact us if you would like help choosing someone.

Book a free 15-minute introductory call

A move, a new job, becoming a parent, a separation, or a change you chose yourself can unsettle more than you expected. Living abroad can add another layer: you may be building a life in one place while missing people, language, or parts of yourself somewhere else.

Therapy gives you a place to sort through what has changed and what you need now. We can talk about identity, belonging, relationships, uncertainty, and the practical strain of adapting. You do not need to be in crisis to want that space. Even a welcome change can involve grief and ambivalence.

At Village Therapy, many of us know what it is like to make a life across cultures. We will not assume that your experience matches anyone else's. We will start with the details of yours.

Next Step: Meet our therapists and book an introductory call.

Practical information

Support with life changes and living abroad is available with Gabriela Palú, Lana Kunštek, Andrea Hörandner and Annalisa Jelmoni. Our clinicians bring different personal and professional experiences of making a life across countries and cultures.

Sessions are available in English, Portuguese, Croatian, German, Italian and Danish, depending on the therapist.

Sessions take place at Village Therapy, Kompagnistræde 16, 2nd floor, 1208 København K, in central Copenhagen near Gammel Strand.

Fees: Fees and appointment lengths are listed by clinician on our prices page. View current prices.

Book a free 15-minute introductory call to ask questions and discuss getting started. An introductory call is a chance to ask about the therapist’s approach and discuss what you are looking for. Your concerns can relate to a recent move, a change in your life or something that has been difficult for longer.