"How Therapy in My Native language Helped My Mental Health Abroad"

“I recently moved to the Philippines, far away from everything and everyone I knew. Of course, it was exciting, but it also meant stepping into a completely different environment without my usual support network. On top of that, I was starting a new job, settling into a new culture, and trying to get used to a very different lifestyle.

That’s when I realised I needed to take better care of my mental health. I’d had therapy before, but I felt like I needed something more immediate and accessible this time around. So, I decided to look into what my insurance policy covered — and luckily, it included online therapy.

Getting started

Signing up was intuitive. The questionnaires weren’t long or complicated, and I got through them fairly quickly. One thing that stood out to me was the option to choose a therapist who spoke Italian, which is my native language. I’d had therapy in English before, and while it helped, it just wasn’t quite the same. Being able to express myself in Italian made a huge difference. It felt more personal, more comfortable, and I could open up.

Counselling sessions

Teladoc Health’s therapy style was different—a more direct approach, and I liked that. It didn’t take weeks to get to the heart of things—we got stuck in straight away, which worked well for me.

After every session, I was in a better mood and had something concrete to reflect on. Even though I’d had therapy in the past, this method felt more focused and effective for where I was mentally.

These sessions taught me techniques to manage my moods and understand my emotions more clearly. I used to push aside or try to ignore certain feelings, but now, I know how to address them and even learn from them.

Direct and efficient

What I appreciate is how direct and efficient the whole experience was. You don’t have to go through 15 sessions to identify what’s wrong. We started working on solutions from the beginning, which made a massive difference.

Also, I was worried about scheduling since I’m in a different time zone, but even from the Philippines, I never had any issues. Sessions were easy to arrange, and everything ran smoothly.

This kind of service gives you the tools to cope with what you’re going through without dragging things out unnecessarily, especially as an expat, where you might not have access to your usual support or even local mental health services in your language.”

Mental Health

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