A few days ago, I stood under the bright stage lights in Valencia, microphone in front of me, ready to share a piece of my life. I had rehearsed, prepared, and told myself I was ready. But nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.
People laughed—loudly. Then, within moments, they wiped away tears. Strangers came up to me afterward, one of them saying, “I don’t know you, but I love you.” Friends messaged me later, apologizing for not realizing how much I had been suffering 15 years ago. A childhood friend who had known my mother told me they understood, on a deep level, what I meant when I said, “Enough.”
That night wasn’t just about telling a story. It was about being seen. About connecting with people who had never met me but felt, in those 10 minutes, that I had told their story, their expat struggles. Discover how my expat journey can help you navigate yours.. And that’s when it hit me—this is exactly what I do as a psychologist. This is why my approach works.
Why this moment mattered more than I expected
When you’ve lived abroad for a long time, you get used to explaining yourself. You learn how to justify why a perfect-looking life abroad can feel unbearably lonely. Why a small comment can hit like a punch to the gut. Why even after years in a foreign country, expat struggles can leave you still feel like you don’t quite belong.
But that night, I didn’t have to explain. The audience—many of them expats—got it. They saw themselves in my story. And I saw them.
A woman approached me and said, “It was like you were telling my story.”
That’s exactly what happens in my sessions, too. My clients don’t have to waste time convincing me that expat life can be exhausting, that relationships can suffer, that the weight of living between worlds can be overwhelming. I already know. Which means we get to work immediately on what actually helps them through their expat struggles.
Why my approach is different
Many therapists can offer support, but not all of them get it. I do. Because I’ve lived it.
I know what it’s like to sit alone in a foreign country, feeling like you’re disappearing. To struggle with a relationship where one of you is thriving and the other feels like a shadow. To carry guilt, uncertainty, and the constant question of, “Did I make a mistake moving here?”
That night on stage, I saw it in the audience’s faces—how much my story was their story. And that’s what happens in my sessions, too. My clients don’t have to spend time explaining the basics of expat life or why certain things hit harder. We dive straight into what matters.
I don’t just listen—I give people real, actionable tools. With my background in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), our sessions aren’t about endlessly analyzing the past. They’re about finding solutions. About shifting perspectives. About taking steps forward, even when it feels impossible.
The power of storytelling in healing
When I first started preparing for this event, I thought it would be a personal challenge, something to push me out of my comfort zone. But I quickly realized that shaping and telling my story, my expat journey, wasn’t just for me. It was for everyone who has ever felt trapped in a life they didn’t want.
The process of crafting my story mirrored the work I do with my clients. It’s about making sense of your experiences, seeing them from a new perspective, and, most importantly, taking ownership of your narrative.
That’s what I help my clients do every day. Whether they come to me feeling lost, frustrated, or emotionally drained, the first step is always about making sense of their story. From there, we rewrite it into something empowering, something that doesn’t just dwell on the past and expat struggles, but paves the way for a better future.
Beyond the Expat experience
What surprised me the most that night was that even though the room was filled with expats, my story resonated with everyone.
Locals, long-term residents, visitors, people from completely different backgrounds came up to me, saying how much my words had meant to them.
It was a powerful reminder that the emotions we experience as expats—loneliness, fear, guilt, resilience—aren’t just expat problems. They are human experiences. And that’s why I don’t just help people survive abroad, I help them build lives they actually want to live.
After the event, I received messages from friends who had known me 15 years ago. They told me they were sorry they hadn’t realized how much I was suffering back then. And honestly? I didn’t expect that.
It made me think about how many of us suffer in silence, how easy it is to hide pain when life looks good on the outside. And how much we need spaces to be honest—without fear of judgment, without having to justify why we feel what we feel.
That’s what I do in my work every day. I help expats put words to emotions they’ve been holding in for too long. I help couples say things they’ve been too afraid to voice. I create space for clarity, healing, and real change in their life abroad.
This isn’t just about me—it’s about you
That night wasn’t just about performing. It was about proving—again—that being seen, being understood, and being heard changes everything.
If you’re tired of struggling alone, if you’re in a relationship that’s suffering because of expat stress, or if you just need someone who actually understands the expat struggles you’re going through—I’m here.
- For individuals: Let’s work together to help you feel more like yourself again.
- For couples: Let’s get to the root of the tension and rebuild connection in a way that works across cultures and lifestyles.
You don’t have to figure this out alone. Book a session with me, and let’s find the way forward—together.
And if you want to see what all the fuss is about, my full monologue is now on YouTube! Watch it here.
Find out more about my methods and approach as an expat psychologist here.
Do you want to know more about on how to overcome Limiting Beliefs of life abroad? Check my Workshop here.
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Want your 30-Minute Free Consultation? Book Here! and let’s start the road to the expat life YOU want to live!
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By your side,
If you are an expat who wants to live a joyful, successful and fulfilled international life, Gabriela is the Licensed Psychologist and Mentor you need.
She helps you reclaim your self-confidence back and design your expat life in your own terms. Gabriela has more than 20 years of professional experience, speaks 3 languages (sometimes in one sentence, like you!) and has supported more than 450 expats overcome anxiety and burnout, build meaningful relationships and enjoy their international lives, wherever they are, wherever they are heading.
Gabriela supports expats in Spanish, English and German and also offers workshops and talks for companies.
