About Therapsy: multilingual psychotherapy for expats
The hearts behind Therapsy
A personal journey turned into a space of care and connection
Therapsy was born in 2023 from the shared vision of Lorenzo Ferrari, a digital entrepreneur, and Francesca A. Boccalari, an experienced psychotherapist – partners in both life and work.
Together, they felt the need for a space where people could find psychological support in their own language, while living in Italy.
Step by step, listening to the voices and stories of patients, they shaped Therapsy into what it is today: a welcoming place where more and more people every day can find the support they deserve.
– We believe that, with the right support, every challenge can become a step toward growth and new beginnings.
The mind behind our clinical excellence
Guiding every patient’s journey with expertise, care and vision
Dr. Francesca Adriana Boccalari is the Clinical Director of Therapsy and the mind behind our therapeutic approach.
With many years of experience as a psychotherapist, she carefully evaluates each case at the beginning of the journey, ensuring that every person is matched with the therapist best suited to their needs.
She also provides ongoing supervision and support to our team of psychologists, nurturing a culture of care, growth, and excellence.
Deeply passionate about helping people live more fulfilling lives, Dr. Francesca combines innovative and scientifically validated treatment methods with a strong belief in the healing power of the therapist–patient relationship.
– I believe that healing begins when we feel truly seen and supported, and that is the foundation of every path we build together.
Quality and trust
Your safe place in town
The numbers behind the work.
Our patients tell us how they feel, here’s what they say.
Languages we speak
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Our therapy philosophy
Tailor-made therapies, the best scientifically validated treatment protocols and years of clinical experience are the basic ingredients of our treatment philosophy. Everything will always be seasoned with empathy and kindness, in a non-judgmental environment that you will always find ready to listen and validate.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most widespread, effective and reliable models of treatment and understanding of psychopathological disorders. The World Health Organization considers it the treatment of choice for anxiety disorders, as found in numerous scientific studies. The basic assumption of CBT is that problems are not characterized by the situations themselves, but by our way of experiencing and interpreting them. In fact, it postulates that there is a complex connection between our thoughts, our emotions and our behaviors and when these thoughts are dysfunctional the foundations of emotional distress are laid. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) therefore aims to help patients identify recurrent thoughts and dysfunctional patterns of reasoning and interpreting the reality, in order to replace and/or integrate them with more functional beliefs.
EMDR
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a scientifically proven technique commonly used in the treatment of several trauma-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. This approach uses alternating eye movements, or other forms of bilateral stimulation, to re-establish the excitatory/inhibitory balance of the brain synapses, thus allowing better communication between the cerebral hemispheres and the "flow" of the traumatic memory, previously blocked in the memory. EMDR cannot be considered a treatment, but a technique, which is very useful when integrated into the psychotherapy process. In particular, in collecting information of patient’s past and attachment story, it is possible that "small or big" traumas emerge in the patient's experience. These traumas can be successfully addressed and overcome thanks to the use of this technique. Overcoming traumas related to childhood and beyond will allow you to leave the past in the past and face the present with more serenity.
Rational Emotional Behavioral Psychotherapy
Rational emotional behavioral psychotherapy (REBT) promotes emotional well-being through the application of scientifically proven protocols within a short therapy process, but with long-lasting results. REBT is an action-oriented therapy that teaches a person how to identify, challenge and replace irrational thoughts (the cause of psychological distress) with more rational and healthy beliefs, able to guarantee psychophysical well-being and the achievement of oneself goals. Rational emotional therapy was developed in 1955 by Dr. Albert Ellis, founder of the REBT Institute. To date, it is recognized as one of the most effective therapies in the treatment of anxiety disorders, pathological anger and depression.
Schema Therapy
Schema therapy is a type of talk therapy that focuses on schemas. Schemas are frameworks, or belief systems, through which people understand themselves and the world around them. Individuals begin forming schemas in childhood, particularly around their family and immediate environment. These schemas then inform thoughts, emotions, and behavior and may be maladaptive when they are unbalanced or unrealistic. For example, a child may learn, from what happens or to him/her, that he/she must always be perfect, or that he/she can never trust anyone. This may contribute to anxiety or other mental health conditions in the future. Schema therapy, through particular techniques also based on imaginative work, aims to gradually replace maladaptive schemas with healthier ones so that a person can experience less emotional distress. This may help patients with self-esteem, relationships with others and daily functioning.
Mindfulness
Spending too much time planning, problem-solving, daydreaming, or thinking negative or random thoughts can be draining. It can also make you more likely to experience stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression. Practicing mindfulness exercises can help you direct your attention away from this kind of thinking and engage with the world around you. Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.
Psychodiagnostic Assessment
In some cases it is best to precede the start of therapy with a diagnosis. The psychodiagnostic evaluation allows the therapist and the patient to better understand the emotional problem and consequently plan the treatment in a personalized way. The assessment tools are the clinical interview and structured interviews or questionnaires. The person is accompanied on a journey of discovery, which helps him/her to focus on the issues and to be more aware of the dynamics that lie behind them. Furthermore, psychodiagnostic assessment is the best way to address the resources deployed so far by the patient to manage his/her discomfort and those to be strengthened to deal with it in the future. All this, will help the therapy process, which will be made more targeted and effective.
Book your first free assessment call now!
How Therapsy works
1. Fill out the form
2. Personalized matching
Have a free dedicated conversation with our Clinical Director, who will carefully understand your needs, preferences, and language. Based on this, we will thoughtfully match you with the therapist who best fits your goals and personality.
Clinical Director
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3. Free assessment call
Meet your assigned therapist for a free initial assessment call. This session is designed to get to know you, explore your concerns, and explain how therapy works.
4. Start your journey
Continue with flexible therapy sessions, online or in person across Italy. If the fit isn’t right, we’ll rematch you. No awkward conversations, no extra cost.
Therapsy vs. others
About Therapsy FAQ
Therapsy was founded in 2023 by Lorenzo Ferrari, a digital entrepreneur, and Dr. Francesca A. Boccalari, an experienced psychotherapist – partners in both life and work. They built Therapsy after identifying the gap of mental health support for expats in Italy who couldn’t find therapists fluent in their native language. From a small initial team, Therapsy has grown into a network of 50+ multilingual therapists across 20+ Italian cities.
Yes. Therapsy operates as Therapsy Stp Srl (P.IVA IT14203210969), a fully registered Italian healthcare company headquartered in Milan. All sessions are billed by Therapsy Stp Srl, invoices comply with Italian tax law (eligible for the 19% medical expense deduction), and our practice is regulated under Italian healthcare standards (Codice Deontologico degli Psicologi).
Therapsy’s mission is to make psychological support accessible to anyone who needs it, in their own language and on their own terms. We combine the convenience of online therapy with the depth of in-person care, evidence-based methods with personal matching by a real Clinical Director (no algorithm). Nobody should be unable to access mental health care because of language, geography, or cost barriers.
Since launching in 2023, Therapsy has supported over 1,000 clients across Italy and abroad in 12 languages. Our team has grown from a handful of multilingual therapists to 50+ licensed psychotherapists, psychiatrists, and psychologists, with physical locations in 20+ Italian cities. Trustpilot rating: 4.6/5 from verified clients.
Clinical quality at Therapsy is overseen by Dr. Francesca A. Boccalari, our co-founder and Clinical Director. She personally supervises the team, reviews complex cases, and ensures evidence-based standards across the network. Day-to-day clinical operations and matching are also coordinated by Dr. Boccalari, giving every client direct access to her clinical judgment.
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