Finding therapy in English in Rome takes longer than it should. The city has excellent clinicians, but most of them work in Italian, the public mental health service works almost entirely in Italian, and the private practitioners who do offer therapy in English are spread across a very large city. This guide is for people who live in Rome, or are about to, and want to know where to look, how to check a professional, what it costs and how to start.
Quick answer: you can find an English-speaking therapist in Rome through private practitioners who work in English, or through a service like Therapsy that matches you with one. The public mental health service is free to access directly but works mostly in Italian. Therapsy works with eight psychologists who see patients in person in Rome, in English and also in Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish and French, and online. The first call is free and individual sessions start from 70 euros.
Therapsy is a multilingual psychotherapy service in Italy that connects expats with therapists who speak their native language.
Key takeaways
- Therapy in English in Rome is mostly private: the public service is direct-access but rarely works in English.
- Any psychologist’s registration can be checked in two minutes on the public national register.
- Individual sessions with Therapsy start from 70 euros, and therapy is a health expense for the Italian tax credit.
- Therapsy’s eight psychologists in Rome have practices in different parts of the city, so you can choose a practice near home or work, or meet online.
- The match is made by a person, the Clinical Director, and the first call with your therapist is free.
Who looks for therapy in English in Rome?
People who work for international organisations and embassies
Rome hosts several United Nations agencies, the embassies to Italy and to the Holy See, and the offices of many international companies. People who move for these jobs often work in English all day and live in a city that runs in Italian. The pressure is rarely one event: it is the paperwork, the housing, a partner without a job, children in a new school, and the feeling of being competent at work and lost everywhere else.
Students at international universities
Students on degree programmes taught in English, and on study-abroad semesters, often arrive without Italian and without a support network. Homesickness, exam pressure and loneliness are common in the first year, and they are easier to talk about in the language you think in.
Partners, families and people who came for love
Many people live in Rome because their partner does. The relationship is usually the reason for the move and, under the pressure of a new country, sometimes where the strain shows. Our guide to intercultural couples therapy covers what changes when two cultures share one home.
How do you find a psychologist in English in Rome?
The public mental health service
Public mental health care is run by the local health authorities through the Centri di Salute Mentale (CSM). Access is direct, so you can contact the centre for your area yourself, but the service works almost entirely in Italian and waiting times vary from one centre to another. How it works, step by step, is explained in our guide to mental health services in Italy for expats.
Private practitioners who work in English
Most therapy in English in Rome is private. Some psychologists list English on their own website or in an international directory; it is worth asking how much of their week they actually work in English, and whether they have worked with people in your situation.
A matching service
With Therapsy you describe what is going on and in which language you want to work, and our Clinical Director chooses the therapist for you. You then meet that therapist in a free first call before deciding anything. How the choice is made is explained on the page about therapist matching.
How do you check a therapist before you book?
Look the name up in the public register
Every psychologist practising in Italy must be registered with the professional order, and anyone can check the national register of psychologists. “Psicoterapeuta” is a protected title: it requires a postgraduate specialisation in psychotherapy on top of a licence as a psychologist or a medical doctor, and the register shows it. Psychiatrists are medical doctors and appear in the register of the Order of Physicians.
Questions worth asking in the first call
- Have you worked with people who moved to Italy, or with my specific difficulty?
- Can the whole process be in English, including documents and invoices?
- What approach do you use, in plain words, and how will we know it is working?
- What happens to our sessions if I travel or leave Rome?
What does therapy in English cost in Rome?
With Therapsy, individual sessions start from 70 euros and couple sessions from 100, with the same fee online and in person. A complete three-session psychodiagnostic assessment starts from 255 euros. The first call with the therapist you have been matched with is free.
If you file a tax return in Italy, therapy is a health expense: you get a 19 per cent tax credit on the part of your yearly health spending above 129.11 euros, provided you pay by traceable means. Some international health insurance plans reimburse sessions with a licensed psychologist: check your policy before you start. The Bonus Psicologo is a separate public contribution that can be used only with psychotherapists who have joined the scheme, and Therapsy does not accept it.
In person or online in Rome?
Where the practices are
Rome is large, and an hour in traffic each way can be the reason people stop therapy. The psychologists Therapsy works with have practices in different parts of the city, including Parioli, Trieste, Nomentano, the Mazzini area, Monteverde, Ostiense and Appio-Latino, so there is usually a practice within reach of home or work. Addresses and the map are on the page for English-speaking therapy in Rome.
When online is the better choice
Online sessions suit people with long commutes, irregular hours or frequent travel, and they keep the same therapist when you leave Rome for the summer or for good. They also work: a 2021 meta-analysis of therapy by live video found it no less effective than therapy in person. Many people mix the two formats with the same therapist.
The English-speaking therapists we work with in Rome
Therapsy works with eight psychologists who see patients in person in Rome and also online. All of them work in English.
- Dr. Alina Charnavusava works in English, Italian, Russian and Ukrainian. A Gestalt psychotherapist, she works on anxiety, sleep difficulties and what breaks down between people, with people of all ages and with couples.
- Dr. Camilla Ballerini works with a post-rationalist cognitive approach on eating disorders, burnout and couples, with people aged 16 and over and with parents.
- Dr. Giorgia Pro works in English, Italian, Spanish and French, with a systemic-relational approach, on anxiety, identity, obsessive-compulsive difficulties and relationships, from children to whole families.
- Dr. Giulia Regoli has a humanistic and bioenergetic approach and works on personal growth and self-awareness, for people who are not in crisis but feel stuck.
- Dr. Leelt Retta Gebru is a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist working with children, adults, couples and parents. ADHD and specific learning differences are a significant part of her practice.
- Dr. Maria Gonaria Demontis has a transcultural approach and supports people through migration in both directions, with anxiety, panic, phobias, trauma and bereavement.
- Dr. Marianna De Simone works with a cognitive behavioural approach with young adults and adults.
- Dr. Sofia Collatina works in English. She has advanced EMDR training and specialises in PTSD and complex PTSD, alongside work on career and study orientation for students and young professionals.
The network behind them counts more than 50 therapists in 14 languages, with 90 practices across 24 Italian cities and online everywhere else. Fewer than one applicant in a hundred is accepted.
How do you start?
- Fill in the short form on the Rome page: what is going on, which language, in person or online.
- Dr. Francesca Boccalari, our Clinical Director, and the onboarding team reply within 12 hours.
- She chooses the therapist and you meet them in a free first call.
- If it is the right fit, you book your first session; if not, you say so and we propose someone else.
FAQ
Can I have therapy in English in Rome in person?
Yes. Therapsy works with eight psychologists who see patients in person in different parts of Rome, all in English, and some also in Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish and French. The same sessions can be held online.
Do I need a referral to see a psychologist in Rome?
No. Private therapy can be booked directly, without a referral or a diagnosis. Public mental health centres are also direct-access, although some prefer a referral from your family doctor.
Does the public health service offer therapy in English in Rome?
Rarely. Public mental health centres work almost entirely in Italian, so most people who want therapy in English in Rome choose a private psychologist.
How much does an English-speaking psychologist in Rome cost?
With Therapsy individual sessions start from 70 euros and couple sessions from 100, online or in person. If you file an Italian tax return, part of the cost comes back as a 19 per cent tax credit.
How soon will someone answer my request?
Within 12 hours: that is how long the Clinical Director and the onboarding team take to reply. When the first call takes place then depends on your diary and the therapist’s.
What should I do in an emergency?
Therapy is not an emergency service. If you or someone near you is in immediate danger, call 112, the emergency number in Italy and across the EU.
A first conversation
Looking for help in a city where you are still learning the language takes more effort than it should. One short form on the Rome page is enough to start: you will be offered a free first call with an English-speaking therapist in Rome, or online, who fits what you describe.
Written by Dr. Francesca Adriana Boccalari, Clinical Director at Therapsy and licensed psychologist (Ordine degli Psicologi della Lombardia n. 16241), and reviewed in October 2026. This article is for information and does not replace a professional consultation.
