How to Find Mental Health Support in Belgium

At some point in our lives, most of us will need a little extra mental health support. The unique challenges of living abroad make this a time where finding the right support is especially crucial. Perhaps you are struggling with social isolation, shifts in your identity, or just overwhelmed with all these new systems? To help you find the right person to support you with the problems you are facing right now, we have rounded up some useful terms, advice, and links below.

This article was written by Emma, a fellow international who has lived in the U.S.A., the UK, the Netherlands, and Belgium. She is a psychologist who provides counseling for internationals and expats. Her expertise is in supporting those affected by chronic pain or illness.

Emma Biggs

2 September 2025

Different Types of Mental Health Professionals

The rules about who can call themselves what vary from country to country. Some of the most commonly used titles in Belgium are explained in the next few paragraphs. It is important to know that a protected title means that the conditions to use the title are regulated by the government. A non-protected title means that it is free for anyone to use, it is up to you to verify whether the individuals’ background makes them qualified to support you.

Clinical psychologist

Clinical psychologists are considered medical professionals and are bound by a code of ethics, and the title is protected. Clinical psychologists can diagnose and treat (see Psychotherapist & Psychotherapy below) mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, or OCD. If you are experiencing mental health struggles that are impacting your ability to function in your daily life, a conversation with a clinical psychologist would be a good place to start.

In Belgium, many (clinical) psychologists work in group practices (“groepspraktijk”) and offer in-person and online services. English speaking clinical psychologists are certainly available, although waiting lists tend to be very long. Websites such as www.vind-een-psycholoog.be can help you find someone who is available. The website is only in Dutch but under “taal” you can filter for English speaking psychologists.

If the clinical psychologist belongs to a network of mental health professionals (i.e., they are “geconventioneerd”) you may be able to receive some reimbursement of the cost from your health insurance. This varies per health insurance provider so inquire with your psychologist if they are part of a network that is covered by your insurance.

Psychotherapist & Psychotherapy

Ok, it’s about to get complicated…So those clinical psychologists who are allowed to provide treatment for mental health problems. That treatment is likely to be “psychotherapy”, which basically means a structured course of intervention designed to improve suffering from a diagnosed condition.

To provide psychotherapy you need to complete an additional postgraduate training, which typically takes 4 years. However, while the treatment “psychotherapy” is protected by law, the title of “psychotherapist” is not. Anyone can, in principle, call themselves a psychotherapist without any verification.

As always, it is of vital importance to check the background of the mental health professional you are contacting. If you are suffering from moderate to severe issues, a clinical psychologist with postgraduate training in psychotherapy is likely the best fit.

Counselor & Coach

Perhaps you are just looking for some extra support or a private space to reflect on what’s going on in your life right now. You may consider seeking out a counselor or coach. Both titles are non-protected in Belgium. Please note, they are allowed to provide mental health support but not treatment.

Typically, counselors and coaches come from a variety of backgrounds and will provide support related to their unique background. Counseling is a client-focused format, aimed at self-reflection. This means that the counselor will not provide advice or tell you what they think. Instead, they are there to act as a mirror, reflecting back at you the subtext you may not hear yourself say, or pointing out when you are contradicting yourself. This can be a good option if you just need some space to talk things out with an unbiased listening ear.

Alternatively, maybe you have a goal in mind, but you don’t quite know how to reach it. Do you want to change career paths? Quit drinking? Get fit? A coach can help you with this future-oriented planning.

Most counselors and coaches work independently and can be found on www.vind-een-psycholoog.be (filter for counselor) or www.vind-een-coach.be. Both websites are available only in Dutch but allow you to filter for English speaking counselors/coaches.

Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is a protected title for an individual who has a medical degree (MD) and further specialization in psychiatry. This tends to cover severe conditions that require medication. Note that in Belgium, only MDs such as psychiatrists or GPs, not clinical psychologists, are able to prescribe medication. A referral through your GP is the best way to reach a psychiatrist.

Finding the right form of therapy

The scientific evidence base for psychotherapy has substantially grown in the last decade and our understanding of what type of therapy is effective for what complaints has vastly improved. Your psychologist can help recommend a suitable therapy based on your situation. Bear in mind, the best therapy for you is going to be the one you are able to engage with. It is completely acceptable to tell your psychologist if you find that you are not able to connect with the style of therapy and then try something else! In Belgium, postgraduate psychotherapy education includes four main categories:

Psychodynamic approaches focus on our unconscious thoughts and help provide insight through talking about our early experiences.

Behavioral approaches (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychoeducation) focus on identifying problematic thoughts and behaviors and addressing these, which ultimately improves our emotional well-being.

Systemic/relational approaches focus on talking about our relationships and also our place in the many systems in our lives. Shifts the emphasis from us as an individual to us as part of a network.

Humanistic/experiential approaches (e.g., client-centered, Gestalt or emotion-focused therapy) focus on our own self-awareness. Through empathic communication the therapist helps you explore your thoughts and feelings to discover your own insights.

Not all therapies fit neatly into these categories, and many psychologists will practice a combination of approaches. For instance, acceptance commitment therapy (ACT) and mindfulness tend to overlap the behavioral and humanistic categories because they focus on behavior change but integrate humanistic components like focusing on your individual values. Similarly, positive psychology is more humanistic in its focus on your resilience and strengths but also sometimes uses structured exercises like in behavioral therapies.

So, it’s a mixed bag of psychotherapeutic fun! Perhaps there is something you definitely don’t want to do - or something that instantly sounds like the right fit - chat with your psychologist and give feedback as you are going through the process. Don’t give up if you feel like it “isn’t working”, it doesn’t mean that psychotherapy isn’t for you, just that specific psychotherapy isn’t for you.

Helpful Dutch vocabulary

Psycholoog - Psychologist

Klinisch psycholoog - Clinical psychologist

Psychotherapie - Psychotherapy

Counselor and coach are used in Dutch

Groepspraktijk - Group practice

Psychodynamische therapie - Psychodynamic therapy

Cognitieve gedragstherapie - Cognitive behavioral therapy

Cliëntgerichte therapie - Client-centered therapy

English speaking mental health support in Leuven

I (Emma, the author is this article) am a psychologist, providing counseling for internationals and expats. My expertise is in supporting those affected by chronic pain or illness. If you would like to have a chat about whether my counseling services could be right for you, please get in touch via www.emmabiggs.com

Satori health provides English-speaking services in Leuven geared towards internationals and expats (www.satorihealthcentre.com)

PraxisP is the KU Leuven affiliated mental health center and has a number of English speaking (clinical) psychologists (https://ppw.kuleuven.be/praxisp)