English-speaking therapist in CreteIsland life, with support in English.

People contact us from all over the island, from Chania and Rethymno to Heraklion, Agios Nikolaos and small inland villages, and the issues they bring are often shaped by the particular rhythm of Cretan life.

The seasonal swing

For anyone working in tourism, hospitality or related services, the year has two very different halves. The season can mean months of long shifts, broken sleep and very little time for yourself or your relationships, followed by an abrupt drop in income, structure and social contact once the visitors leave. That swing can be hard on mood and on couples, and some people notice a pattern of exhaustion in summer followed by low mood in winter.

Quiet months and isolation

Outside the main towns, winter can be very quiet indeed. For people who live in villages, work remotely or have retired to the island, days can pass with little conversation, and friends from home may be several flights away. Loneliness is far more common than people tend to admit: the World Health Organization estimates that about one in six people worldwide is affected by it (WHO, 2025), and it can be harder to notice and name when you are surrounded by beautiful scenery and the assumption that you must be happy here.

Belonging in a close-knit place

Cretan communities are famously hospitable, yet being welcomed is not quite the same as belonging, and newcomers can feel both included and outside at once. For couples where one partner is Cretan and the other is not, different expectations around extended family, time together and privacy can become a source of tension that is worth talking through, either on your own through relationship counselling or together in couples therapy.

Distance from services

Larger towns have more services, but if you live a long drive from Chania or Heraklion, travelling to weekly appointments can be impractical, and finding a specialist who works in English nearby may not be possible at all. In a small place there is also the question of privacy: some people would simply rather not be seen walking into a therapist's office where everyone knows their car.

Meeting by video removes the drive, the parking and the risk of being recognised, and it lets you keep a regular weekly time even in winter weather. It also means you can keep working with the same therapist if you spend part of the year elsewhere. The research is encouraging: a meta-analysis of randomised trials found that treatment delivered by video was comparable with in-person care for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress in effectiveness, satisfaction and drop-out (Shaker et al., 2023).

A few practical tips help sessions go smoothly in rural areas. Test your connection at the time of day you plan to meet, sit close to your router or in the spot where your phone signal is strongest, and use headphones so that you can hear clearly and speak quietly. If the line drops, your therapist will try to reconnect straight away.

Sessions take place on Google Meet, last 45 minutes and usually start weekly. In the first session your therapist will ask what has brought you, about your background and about what you hope will change, and together you will agree an initial plan. Our therapists take an integrative, evidence-informed approach, drawing on established methods and using cognitive-behavioural techniques where they help, and we work alongside doctors and psychiatrists when someone also needs medical care. We see adults, couples, and teenagers from the age of 12, with a parent or guardian contacting us first.

If you have moved to Crete from abroad, you may also find our page on therapy for expats helpful, and our guide to mental health services in Greece explains the public options and free helplines, including the national 10306 line, which offers free, anonymous support around the clock (10306.gr).