English-Speaking Therapist in the Philippines.

The Philippines runs in English, which helps, but stigma is strong and good private care concentrates in Metro Manila. Online work reaches the rest of the country and keeps things private.

I work with anyone who needs support in English and is living in the Philippines, or a Filipino abroad or newly home. Relationship strain, a low you can't quite name, or something specific.

The work

The work I do is relational and pattern-focused. I don't run intake checklists or assign homework between sessions; I pay attention to what happens in the session, the moments when something shifts or goes flat, and the recurring pattern underneath the presenting problem. Most people already know the story of their situation and keep landing in the same place. What's missing is someone watching in real time who can name what's invisible from inside it. More on how I work, and how I work with couples.

Being in the Philippines

The Philippines runs largely in English, which removes one barrier and leaves others. The people who come are the BPO and corporate professionals in Metro Manila, the returning Filipinos who built careers abroad and came home to a country that feels both familiar and changed, the foreign expats and remote workers, and the partners adjusting to life here. Stigma around mental health is still strong, and a lot of people want a private space well away from family and workplace circles.

The Philippine system: improving on paper, limited in practice

Public mental health centres on hospitals like the National Center for Mental Health and the Philippine General Hospital, which offer free or low-cost psychiatric care but with long waits and a psychiatry-and-medication orientation. The Mental Health Act of 2018 expanded rights, and more recently PhilHealth added an outpatient mental health benefit, though coverage in practice is still limited and uneven. HMO mental health coverage varies a great deal, and basic plans often exclude it.

Where I stand relative to the PRC

I am US-trained and not on the Philippine register. Psychologists in the Philippines are licensed by the Professional Regulation Commission's Board of Psychology, which I am not part of, so sessions with me are private and outside any local or insurer record. What I offer is sustained depth work in English, paid directly. For PhilHealth-covered care, medication, or a PRC-registered local psychologist, I will point you toward it.

Metro Manila, mostly, and the provinces by video

Private therapy is concentrated in Metro Manila, in Makati, Taguig, and Quezon City, and sessions generally run 1,500 to 5,000 pesos depending on the practitioner and clinic, with the experienced specialists at the upper end. Outside the capital the supply thins quickly, leaving large parts of the country with little. A Manila evening sits in my US morning.

Questions people ask from the Philippines

What people bring to online therapy

The people I work with in English come for a wide range of reasons: anxiety, depression, stress and burnout, anger management, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, loneliness, self-esteem issues, procrastination, sleep problems, attachment patterns, self-sabotage, perfectionism, identity questions, and existential concerns. Online counseling makes this work possible from wherever you are, whether you need an English-speaking therapist, a virtual counselor, or simply someone who can work in your language at a depth that matters.

How it works

Sessions are online via secure video call. I work with individuals and couples (60 minutes). Before your first session, we have a free 15-minute call to see if this feels like the right fit for you.