Counseling in English, Russian or Ukrainian for people living in Lugano and the rest of Ticino. Online by default, in person in Lugano on request.
Book Free 20-Min Intro Session
South of the Alps, in a different Switzerland
Lugano is the largest city in Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton. It is a financial center with private banks and wealth managers, and it is home to commodity traders, fashion companies and the Università della Svizzera italiana. The Italian border is a short drive away, and Milan is closer than Zurich.
Everything official happens in Italian: the commune, the tax office, the school, the doctor. If you arrived with English and perhaps some German, you may find that neither helps much here. Support in English is harder to find in Ticino than in the big cities north of the Gotthard.
If you have been searching for an English-speaking counselor in Lugano, that gap is probably why. With online sessions, the distance to the rest of the country stops mattering.
When a beautiful place does not make it easier
Lugano looks like a holiday: the lake, the palm trees, the mountains behind. People move here for the climate, for work in finance or for a calmer family life. When they feel low anyway, they tend to blame themselves. How can I be unhappy in a place like this?
The view does not change the facts of living abroad. Your friends are elsewhere. Your working day may be spent with clients in other countries. The town is small and can feel closed to newcomers.
- Isolation, especially if you work remotely or are at home with children
- Missing the place you left, and feeling guilty about family there
- Stress and restlessness that the calm surroundings do not touch
- Disagreement with a partner about whether to stay
- A sense that life is pleasant but paused
Two pages may help you further: Counseling in Russian and Ukrainian and Online counseling in Switzerland.
Working together from Ticino
I offer counseling online as the normal format. Each appointment is 50 minutes on a protected video platform, and you receive a link beforehand.
In-person sessions in Lugano are possible on request. Since I live in canton Schwyz, on the northern side of the Alps, these are arranged individually and in advance.
The price is CHF 120 for a regular session. We begin with a free 20-minute introduction so you can see whether you feel comfortable with me. Counseling is typically outside what Swiss basic insurance pays for.
Not a therapist in the medical sense
The word therapist is used loosely online, so I want to be exact. I am a counselor: MSc in Psychology, registered with the SGfB (Swiss Association for Counselling). I help with life difficulties such as stress, relationships and adjustment. Treatment of psychiatric illness, diagnosis and medication are outside my role, and in an emergency you should call 144. Details on how the professions differ: Counseling vs. psychotherapy in Switzerland.
“One of the most comfortable consultants who really closes the question organically and brings you to a solution, not just gives it ‘in the forehead’.”
V.H., IT specialist
Related reading
- Homesickness in Switzerland: living between two homes
- Culture shock in Switzerland after you have settled in
- Guilt about living abroad while family is back home
All regions are listed on the main page for English-speaking counseling in Switzerland.
Questions from Ticino
Do you see clients in person in Lugano or elsewhere in Ticino?
On request. Most sessions happen by video, which removes the travel across the Alps. If an in-person meeting in Lugano or another town in Ticino is important to you, raise it in the introduction and we will work out a date.
Do you speak Italian?
No, I do not. My working languages are English, Ukrainian and Russian. The booking system and my emails are in English, so Italian is not needed.
Can I have counseling in Russian or Ukrainian instead of English?
Yes. You can choose whichever of the three languages lets you express yourself most easily, and some people switch between them. The page Counseling in Russian and Ukrainian has more information.