2d ago

Online Psychiatry

Are there sites/platforms for searching for an English speaking therapist? Something like Talkiatry but for EU preferably?

The reason I'm not looking for a psychiatrist locally is because where I'm living the level of specialists is terrible to put it lightly. Most of them don't even know what ADHD or atomoxetine is, or they claim that ADHD is some children issue and doesn't affect adults. And I know it through very painful experience visiting them.

Thank you in advance!

4 comments

Psychotherapist in the UK here. I cannot stress enough that many of these services are quite predatory both on the therapist and clients. Additionally many do not vet their therapists properly.
I don't know where you are in the EU but your country should have regulating bodies. Here in the UK we have BACP, BPS, COSCA etc. All of which have online directories that let you search by speciality, filter for online/in-person etc. In the UK (and I've heard this is true in some other places in Europe but not sure where) you do NOT have to be qualified to call yourself a therapist or counselor so going with someone outside of these regulatory bodies often means you are doing therapy with someone that did a weekend online course. It is also why these online services are full of people you don't want to be working with.
Before COVID, in the UK we were required to have specialist additional training to work via phone/online but since COVID it's a bit of a wild west. It is substantially different working online than in person - that can be a very good thing... But it can also be a very bad thing too.
My advise is find a regulatory body, search their directory and look for people who specialize in exactly what you want to work in. Many will tick a box as one of 100 things they can work with - ignore those and look for people that in the description talk about neurodiversity etc.
Oh and finally, good practice is to offer clients a 15-20 min call so you can explain how you work and help them get an idea of if they'd like to work with you. Take advantage of this and talk to 2-4 people first before picking someone. The number 1 metric for positive outcomes in therapy is how well you connect to your therapist, so don't compromise on that.
If you would like more pointers feel free to ask, I don't want to overshare info that isn't relevant.

One day I was feeling particularly down, heard an ad on a podcast and I looked into Betterhelp. I don't know if they do anything outside of the US or not, so I don't know if this will help you at all, but since it's on topic, I figured I'd share for curious Americans.
Betterhelp is EXPENSIVE. They said it would cost me something like $80/week, and they wouldn't take insurance. They offered me a discounted rate of $60/week, but the main cause of my depression that day was financial, so it was an especially painful kick in the face.
I also understand how it feels to have a doctor tell you that your disorder isn't real. I asked my doctor about it and all he did was lecture me on how ADHD meds are "performance enhancers" and that ANYONE who took them would function better. "Besides, you have a job, you must be doing alright". (Of course, it was my third job in the past 5 years.)
I don't know about you, but those kinds of things (telling me I dont know what I'm talking about while not listening to what I'm saying) hit me especially hard. I just wanted a referral to a psychiatrist, but he wouldn't even bother doing that.
- That's been a huge block for me, too. I need help, but I can't spend the time and money it would take to find someone who won't prejudge me on a few demographics. I wish there was a thing like a bridal show where you could meet mental health professionals in a speed date-like format to find someone comfortable and supportive of your circumstances.

I've had good luck with Talkspace. Unfortunately (for a plethora of reasons) I'm in the US so I can't speak to its availability in the EU, but my personal experience has been great as I'm able to seek therapists/psychologists for talk therapy, and also psychiatric care for meds as needed.
EDIT to add: The main reason I prefer Talkspace to other platforms is because they take insurance. Again, primarily a US problem, but noting for others who may see this.