Online psychotherapy in Persian for Iranians living abroad
Life in a new country can bring anxiety, loneliness, cultural pressures, relationship difficulties and the feeling of being far from family. Online psychotherapy in Persian offers a space to talk about your difficulties without first having to translate your feelings and experiences into another language.
Sessions take place online. Evidence-based approaches are used according to each person’s circumstances and needs.
You can send a WhatsApp message to ask a question or arrange a session.
Why does therapy in Persian matter?
Expressing deep or complex feelings in a second language can be difficult, even for people who speak it fluently. Many clients say that, when they want to describe exactly what they feel, they instinctively think in their mother tongue and then try to translate. In therapy, this gap between thought and expression can become a significant obstacle.
Sessions in Persian can reduce that language barrier. Clients can speak more directly, without translating their experience first, which may allow for a deeper and more helpful conversation.
Psychological challenges particular to migration
In clinical work, the difficulties experienced by Iranian migrants often involve several recurring themes:
- A divided sense of identity. Many people feel caught between two cultures: not fully part of the new culture, yet no longer connected to their original culture in quite the same way.
- Distance from family support. Family often plays a major role in emotional support in Iranian culture. Being far from this network, particularly during a crisis, can add considerable pressure.
- Pressure to succeed. Many migrants feel they must prove that moving was the right decision. This pressure can contribute to persistent anxiety or burnout.
- Social loneliness. Building deep relationships in a new culture takes time, and isolation is common while those connections are developing.
A therapist who has personally travelled this path, or is deeply familiar with it, may recognise these nuances without requiring lengthy explanations.
How does online psychotherapy work?
Sessions take place by video call. People living abroad, including in Europe, North America and Australia, can enquire about starting therapy without travelling to an office. You need a stable internet connection and a safe, private place to talk.
Sessions are conducted according to professional ethical principles, including confidentiality and its professional limits.
The therapeutic approach
Therapy draws on evidence-based methods such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and schema therapy, adapted to each person’s circumstances, culture and needs. The aim goes beyond reducing symptoms: it also involves understanding yourself more deeply, developing healthier patterns of thinking and behaviour, and working towards a more satisfying life, including while far from home.
When might it be time to seek help?
If any of the following feel familiar, it may be a useful time to consider therapy:
- Persistent anxiety or worry that does not settle.
- Deep sadness or homesickness connected to distance from family and home.
- Feeling lonely even in other people’s company.
- Mental and physical exhaustion from life and work in a new environment.
- Difficulty developing deep, meaningful connections with people around you.
- Reduced motivation or less enjoyment of activities you used to find rewarding.
Beginning therapy
If you feel it is time to explore these difficulties with a professional, the first step can simply be a brief conversation. Send a WhatsApp message to ask about arranging an initial session.
Written by Dr Mansoureh Bahrami, a psychotherapist with more than 16 years of clinical experience in anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties and the psychological challenges of migration.