English-speaking counseling in Lausanne for students, researchers, professionals and the people who moved here with them. Online by default, in person in Lausanne on request.
Book Free 20-Min Intro Session
Campus, clinic and Olympic capital
Lausanne draws people for very specific reasons. EPFL and the University of Lausanne sit side by side on the lakeshore west of the center. The International Olympic Committee has its headquarters here, and many international sports federations have followed it. The university hospital CHUV and the business school IMD bring in clinicians, scientists and executives. Along the lake toward Vevey, large multinational companies add their own international staff.
In the lab and the lecture hall, English is enough. At the commune office, at the doctor and with the landlord, it is French. Many people manage for years with a few polite phrases and feel a little outside of things the whole time.
The pressures of an academic town
Research careers run on short contracts and long uncertainty. A thesis depends on one supervisor. A postdoc position ends on a fixed date, and the next step may lie in another country. Results are compared openly, and it is easy to decide that everyone else is coping better.
- Self-doubt and the sense of not being good enough for the place
- Overwork that started as passion and turned into obligation
- Waiting for a grant, a visa or a job decision
- Being far from family during the years when a lot happens at home
- Questions about what comes after the degree or the contract
You may also be the one who came along. Your partner has a lab, a title and colleagues. You have a new city, a language to learn and a career to rebuild.
More on two of these: Burnout counseling in Switzerland and Relationship counseling for individuals.
Practical side: format, cost and languages
Sessions are held online unless we agree otherwise. They are 50 minutes long, on a video platform that is encrypted and built for confidential conversations. A dorm room or a shared flat can work if you have headphones and a door that closes.
Meeting in person in Lausanne is an option on request. Mention it at the start so we can plan it.
A full session costs CHF 120, and the introductory 20 minutes are free of charge. Please assume that your basic Swiss health insurance will not cover the fee. How often we meet is up to you: weekly, every two weeks or monthly.
I counsel in English, Ukrainian and Russian, and not in French.
Where counseling ends and psychotherapy begins
I am a psychosocial counselor with a Master’s degree in psychology, and I belong to the SGfB, the professional association for counseling in Switzerland. My work is conversation-based support for everyday pressures, relationships and transitions. Diagnosing and treating a mental health condition belongs to psychotherapists and psychiatrists, and I will point you toward them when that is what you need. This article sets out the distinction: Counseling vs. psychotherapy in Switzerland.
“Realizations come not during, but after, and even after a long period of time, at a completely unexpected moment. I am grateful to Maryna for making me feel safe and fully accepted, no matter what state I am in.”
D.R., Creative Professional
Articles for people in Lausanne
- How moving to Switzerland changes your sense of identity
- High-functioning anxiety: why coping well can still feel exhausting
- Anxiety while waiting for an important answer
- How long does counseling take?
I also work with people elsewhere in the country. See English-speaking counselor in Switzerland.
Lausanne FAQ
Are in-person sessions available in Lausanne?
They are, on request. My standard format is video. If you want to meet in Lausanne, we discuss timing and location in the first call and set it up from there.
I am a student or a researcher on a small budget. What does it cost?
Each 50-minute session is CHF 120, and the first 20-minute call is free. Package options are available. You can also keep costs manageable by meeting every two weeks or once a month instead of weekly. We can talk openly about what is realistic for you.
My partner moved to Lausanne because of my job, and things are strained. Can we come together?
I do not run couples sessions. I work with one person at a time, and that is often useful here: either of you can book individual sessions to sort out your own feelings, needs and next steps. If you are looking for joint sessions, a couples therapist is the right address.