Quick answer: The right English speaking therapist in Milan depends less on the city and more on what you need help with. Therapsy works with 18 English-speaking therapists in Milan, and they differ in focus: anxiety and burnout, couples and intercultural relationships, trauma, food and body image, addiction, sexuality, motherhood. This guide matches each need to the therapists who work on it.
Therapsy is a multilingual therapy service in Italy that connects expats with therapists who speak their language, in person in 24 Italian cities and online.
If you have already searched for an English speaking therapist in Milan, you probably found the same problem everyone finds: long lists of names, all of them “English-speaking”, with little to tell them apart. Speaking English is the starting point, not the match. A therapist who is excellent with panic attacks may not be the right person for a couple about to separate, and someone who works mainly with teenagers is a different choice from someone who works with addiction.
This article takes the opposite route to a directory. It starts from the reason you are looking for help and shows which of the therapists Therapsy works with in Milan focus on it. If you first want to know how to check credentials and titles, read our guide on how to find and verify an English-speaking psychologist in Milan. If you already know what you need, start here.
Why does the need matter more than the language?
Because therapy works best when the therapist’s training matches your problem, and English is only the shared language you work in. Two therapists can both speak fluent English and still work in very different ways.
Some therapists use cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a structured approach with exercises between sessions. Others work in a psychodynamic or relational way, looking at patterns that repeat in your relationships. Systemic therapists look at the couple or the family as a whole. EMDR is a specific method used for trauma and painful memories. None of these is better in general: each fits some problems and some people better than others.
Which therapist in Milan for anxiety, stress and burnout?
For anxiety, work stress and burnout, Therapsy’s Milan network includes therapists trained in CBT, EMDR and relational approaches. These are the most common reasons expats in Milan get in touch, often linked to demanding jobs and the effort of building a life in a new country.
- Dr. Anna Valfredi works with anxiety, low mood, emotional regulation, self-esteem and stress at work or university, with a relational psychoanalytic approach. She also sees teenagers from 12.
- Dr. Benedetta Cereda combines CBT, DBT, mindfulness and schema therapy, and works with anxiety and difficulties in relationships.
- Dr. Silvia Vitello works with anxiety, stress, perfectionism and self-esteem, and has specific experience with expats.
- Dr. Agathe Scappini works with anxiety, burnout and psychosomatic symptoms, and offers sessions in French as well as English and Italian.
If stress at work is the main issue, our article on therapy for work stress explains what the first sessions usually focus on. For persistent worry that does not switch off, see our guide to generalized anxiety disorder.
Which therapist in Milan for couples and intercultural relationships?
For couples, Therapsy works in Milan with therapists trained in couple and family therapy, one of whom specialises in intercultural couples. Milan has many couples where partners come from different countries, speak different first languages and carry different expectations about family.
- Dr. Svetlana Loginova specialises in international mixed couples, intercultural relationships and cultural adaptation, and offers sessions in Russian and Ukrainian.
- Dr. Fabia Pietersen is a CBT therapist who works with couples and also uses EMDR.
- Dr. Silvia Vitello has a master in couple therapy and works with couples and families.
- Dr. Paola Acca is a systemic therapist who works with couples and families, and also with sexuality.
- Dr. Maria Luisa Vampa is a psychotherapist who works with couples and families in a psychodynamic and systemic way, and offers sessions in French.
- Dr. Eleni Karliampa is a systemic-relational therapist who works with couples, families, cultural identity and LGBTQ+ clients, and offers sessions in Greek.
Our guide to couples therapy for expats in Milan covers what to expect when both partners come to sessions, and how therapy works when you do not share a first language.
Which therapist in Milan for trauma and painful memories?
For trauma, several therapists in Therapsy’s Milan network use EMDR, a method recommended by the World Health Organization for post-traumatic stress. Trauma can be a single event, such as an accident or an assault, or a long period of difficult experiences.
- Dr. Matteo Innocenti is a psychiatrist who works as a therapist with EMDR.
- Dr. Alia Jasim is a psychiatrist and therapist who works with trauma, PTSD, anxiety, low mood and insomnia, and offers sessions in French and Arabic.
- Dr. Silvia Vitello and Dr. Fabia Pietersen also use EMDR in their work.
The WHO guidelines on conditions specifically related to stress list trauma-focused CBT and EMDR among the recommended treatments for post-traumatic stress in adults. If your experience goes back years, our article on what complex PTSD is may help you put words to it.
If you need an assessment for medication, read our guide to English-speaking psychiatrists in Milan.
Which therapist in Milan for food, weight and body image?
For a difficult relationship with food, weight or your body, Therapsy works in Milan with therapists who specialise in eating disorders and body image. These difficulties are common and often hidden, and moving abroad can make them stronger, because food, routine and social life all change at once.
- Dr. Alexandra Kraslavski is a CBT therapist who works with eating disorders, weight and EMDR, and offers sessions in Hebrew.
- Dr. Svetlana Loginova works with eating disorders and body image.
- Dr. Silvia Vitello works with body image and the relationship with food.
Which therapist in Milan for addiction, sleep and personality difficulties?
For addiction, to substances or behavioural addictions, Therapsy works in Milan with Dr. Eleonora Montorfano, who also works with sleep and personality difficulties.
Dr. Eleonora Montorfano uses an integrated approach and offers sessions in German as well as English and Italian. She also works with separations, including when children are involved. German speakers in other cities can read our page on German-speaking therapy in Italy.
Which therapist in Milan for sexuality and intimacy?
For sexual difficulties and intimacy, Therapsy works in Milan with therapists trained in sex therapy. These are topics many people find hard to raise even in their first language, and harder still in a second one.
- Dr. Chiara Gabelli works with integrated sex therapy, sexual difficulties, anxiety and OCD, and sees teenagers from 13 as well as adults and couples.
- Dr. Paola Acca works with sexuality within individual, couple and family therapy.
Which therapist in Milan for pregnancy, new motherhood and parenting?
For pregnancy, the months after birth and parenting, Therapsy works in Milan with therapists who support new and expecting parents. Becoming a parent far from your own family is one of the moments when expats feel most alone.
- Dr. Agathe Scappini supports pregnancy, the postpartum period, motherhood and parenting, as well as couples in transition.
- Dr. Anna Valfredi works with parents and family difficulties.
- Dr. Maria Luisa Vampa supports parents, teenagers and university students.
Our articles on matrescence and on postpartum depression for mothers abroad go deeper into this period.
Which therapist in Milan if you want to speak another language?
All 18 therapists Therapsy works with in Milan speak English and Italian, and several also offer sessions in another language. Many people find it easier to talk about emotions in the language they grew up with.
- French: Dr. Agathe Scappini, Dr. Alia Jasim, Dr. Maria Luisa Vampa
- Russian and Ukrainian: Dr. Svetlana Loginova
- German: Dr. Eleonora Montorfano
- Greek: Dr. Eleni Karliampa
- Hebrew: Dr. Alexandra Kraslavski
- Arabic: Dr. Alia Jasim
French speakers can also read our page on French-speaking therapy in Italy.
What if your need is not on this list?
You do not need to know which category you fit: you describe what is happening, and Therapsy’s clinical team proposes the therapist. Many people come with more than one thing at once, or with something they cannot name yet.
The Milan network also includes Dr. Chiara Trisotto and Dr. Damiano Crivelli, who work with a cognitive approach informed by neuropsychology, Dr. Marisa Gennari, who works in a psychodynamic and relational way, and Dr. Arianna Antonelli, who combines a systemic approach with Gestalt therapy and collaborative assessment. You can see everyone on our therapists page and the city page for therapy in Milan.
How does matching with a therapist in Milan work?
You fill in a short form, our clinical team matches you with a therapist on WhatsApp, and your first assessment call with the therapist is free.
- Tell us what you need. A few lines are enough: what is happening, whether you prefer in person or online, and which language you want to speak.
- Matching. Our clinical team writes to you on WhatsApp within 12 hours, understands your situation and chooses the therapist in Milan who fits your need, your language and your schedule.
- Free first assessment call. You talk with your therapist before starting, at no cost.
- Therapy. You meet in person in Milan or online. If the fit does not feel right, you can tell us and we propose someone else.
Prices are listed on our pricing page. For a wider view of costs and insurance, see how much therapy costs in Italy.
If you are in crisis or thinking about ending your life, do not wait for an appointment: call 112, the European emergency number, which works everywhere in Italy.
Frequently asked questions
How many English-speaking therapists does Therapsy have in Milan?
Therapsy works with 18 English-speaking therapists in Milan, who see patients in person in the city or online. Several also offer sessions in French, Russian, Ukrainian, German, Greek, Hebrew or Arabic.
Do I have to choose the therapist myself?
No. You describe what you need, and Therapsy’s clinical team chooses the therapist who fits it. Matching is done by people, not by an algorithm.
Which therapist in Milan is best for anxiety?
It depends on how the anxiety shows up and on the approach you prefer. In Milan, Dr. Anna Valfredi, Dr. Benedetta Cereda, Dr. Silvia Vitello and Dr. Agathe Scappini all work with anxiety, with CBT-based or relational approaches.
Can I do therapy in Milan in a language other than English?
Yes. In Milan, Therapsy works with therapists who also speak French, Russian, Ukrainian, German, Greek, Hebrew and Arabic. Across Italy, Therapsy offers therapy in 14 languages.
Can I start online and continue in person in Milan?
Yes, in most cases. Many of the therapists Therapsy works with in Milan see patients both online and in person: tell us your preference during matching.
Is the first call really free?
Yes. The first assessment call with your therapist is free and has no obligation. Before it, the matching with our clinical team on WhatsApp is free too.
Ready to talk to someone who understands what you are going through? Tell us what you need and we will propose your therapist in Milan.
