For some people, settling in France feels positive and exciting. However, it can take time to find new points of reference. A different language, changes in work or family life, being away from familiar relationships, or simply adapting to a different way of doing things may leave someone feeling isolated, uncertain, or out of place.
This does not mean that being an expat inevitably causes difficulty. An international move can bring an existing difficulty into sharper focus, while at other times it is simply one change among many. Anxiety, low mood, relationship difficulties, loss of confidence, or a feeling of being stuck can emerge at very different moments in life. The reasons for seeking help are often less clear-cut than a diagnosis. Someone may have been feeling anxious for some time without quite knowing why. A relationship may have become difficult, work or university may no longer feel manageable, or there may simply be a sense that something is not working as it used to.
Many expats can speak French, sometimes very well. However, speaking French and feeling able to talk about yourself in French are two different things, particularly when it comes to psychotherapy. Therapy involves talking about emotions, relationships, memories, and personal experiences. These are not always easy things to put into words, even in one’s first language. A word can feel slightly different from one language to another, and some things may come more naturally in English while others do in French.
This can be particularly relevant for people who have lived between languages or cultures for a long time. For some expats, language is not simply a practical matter; it can also be part of how they experience themselves, their relationships, and their environment.
An English-speaking psychologist does not need to have lived through the same experiences as the person they see. What matters is being able to listen carefully to what is specific to each patient, while taking their language, cultural background, and personal history seriously.
Moving to another country is a significant change for a child or teenager. A new school, another language, new friendships, or changes in family life can show up as anxiety, learning or attention difficulties, changes in behaviour, low confidence, or difficulties in relationships. It can be tempting to focus immediately on the difficulty itself: improving attention, reducing anxiety, or changing a behaviour. But the same symptom can mean very different things from one child to another. Understanding what is happening, and what the difficulty may be expressing, is often an important part of the work.
There is no particular moment when someone is supposed to start therapy. Psychotherapy may be useful when a difficulty has been going on for some time, when a transition has become more difficult than expected, or when someone keeps finding themselves caught in the same patterns without quite understanding why.
It can also be useful for more specific or temporary situations. A few consultations may sometimes be enough to help someone think through a particular period, an international move, a change in family or professional life, or a difficult transition. There is no single timeframe that applies to everyone. The duration and frequency of consultations can be discussed depending on the person, what brings them to therapy, and what they need at that time.
The reason for coming to see a psychologist does not always need to be clear from the beginning. It can become clearer through talking. The first consultations are also an opportunity to understand what is going on and whether psychotherapy seems appropriate; they do not have to lead to a particular type of treatment.
I am a clinical psychologist trained in France, with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychopathology from the Université catholique de Lille. Having grown up in a bilingual French-English environment, I work with children, teenagers, and adults in both English and French. I offer consultations in Boulogne-Billancourt and by video. Sessions can take place entirely in English, entirely in French, or the language can remain flexible for bilingual patients. My approach is clinical and integrative, meaning I adapt the therapeutic framework to the patient, their history, and what brings them to the consultation.