English-Speaking Therapist in Reykjavik.

Reykjavik is small, remote, and easy to feel alone in. Therapy is the steady room through the dark months. Online, in English, with no connection to the local scene or any Icelandic record.

Aaron Platt

What is bringing you here?

Depression Anxiety Burnout Impostor
Syndrome Overthinking Self-Sabotage Perfectionism People-Pleasing Expat Issues Loneliness Something else

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In shortOnline psychodynamic therapy in English for people living in Reykjavik: private, paid directly, and natural in a city already used to video.

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.

Therapy in Reykjavik: a real market with real friction

Almost all of Iceland's English-speaking therapy is in Reykjavik, and it is among the most expensive in Europe, generally 120 to 160 euros a session. The public route leans toward medication and psychiatric assessment, with psychological-therapy waits that can run many months, and Icelandic Health Insurance reimburses only with a referral, a framework psychologist, and six months of residency. Many people use union grants to offset private fees. The full picture of the Icelandic system is on my Iceland page.

The Reykjavik patterns

The people who come are Reykjavik's international layer. The tech and tourism professionals, the academics and researchers, the partners who moved for someone else, and the long-term expats navigating a tight community conducted largely in Icelandic. In a place this small, a therapist entirely outside the local circle is part of the appeal.

Why people in Reykjavik pick online work with me

Three reasons recur. Privacy: I hold no Icelandic license and write nothing into an Icelandic record. Fit: my whole practice is people living outside their home country. Logistics: video work is already routine in Iceland, and a Reykjavik afternoon sits in my US morning. If you need prescriptions, reimbursed care, or a registered local psychologist, I will point you toward it.

Questions people ask from Reykjavik

What does private therapy cost in Reykjavik?

Private sessions generally run 120 to 160 euros, among the highest in Europe. Many Icelandic unions subsidise a set number of sessions a year, so check your union. My fee is private-pay, billed directly, with nothing entering an Icelandic health record.

Does the public system cover ongoing therapy?

Public care leans toward medication and psychiatric assessment, and psychological-therapy waits can run many months. Reimbursement through Icelandic Health Insurance needs a referral, a framework psychologist, and six months of residency. I work privately, in English.

Can I do therapy online from Reykjavik?

Yes, and it is unusually natural here: video sessions are routine and nearly all local therapists speak English. A Reykjavik afternoon lines up with my US morning. For prescriptions or reimbursed care you would see a local provider.

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.

Selected research on this approach

My work is psychodynamic and depth-oriented. These are some of the studies on the effectiveness of that kind of therapy. They describe research on the method in general, and are not claims about any individual outcome.

Shedler, J. (2010). The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy. American Psychologist, 65(2), 98-109. doi:10.1037/a0018378
Steinert, C., Munder, T., Rabung, S., Hoyer, J., & Leichsenring, F. (2017). Psychodynamic therapy: as efficacious as other empirically supported treatments? A meta-analysis testing equivalence of outcomes. American Journal of Psychiatry, 174(10), 943-953. PMID 28541091
Leichsenring, F., Abbass, A., Heim, N., Keefe, J. R., Kisely, S., Luyten, P., Rabung, S., & Steinert, C. (2023). The status of psychodynamic psychotherapy as an empirically supported treatment for common mental disorders: an umbrella review based on updated criteria. World Psychiatry, 22(2), 286-304. PMC10168167

What Clients Say

“I came in thinking I knew what my issues were. I’d been over them a hundred times. But those were just the things I could already see. Aaron helped me notice what I couldn’t, and that’s where everything actually started to change.”

— M.J.

“I didn’t think online therapy could really work. How do you feel a connection through a screen? But I’ve done in-person therapy before, and honestly, I’ve felt more understood by Aaron than by any therapist I’ve sat across from. He listens in a way that’s hard to describe until you experience it.”

— T.L.

“A few years ago I suddenly developed prolonged panic attacks but couldn’t begin to understand what had caused them. Having been in therapy in the past, and being a counseling intern student, I felt I had exhausted my resources trying to figure out “What is wrong with me?” I can honestly say Aaron provides a form of counseling that is difficult to find anywhere else regarding efficacy. Not only has his approach been effective, but he also has provided me a safe space to explore aspects about myself I may not otherwise have felt able to. I cannot recommend him enough as he has helped me feel more myself than ever before.”

— K.R.

“I’d been in and out of therapy for years. Different therapists, different approaches, none of it really stuck. Aaron helped me understand more in a few months than all of them combined. And he talked to me like a normal person, not like all this weird therapy-speak.”

— S.A.

Completely private. No insurance, no diagnosis codes, no health registry, no GP notification, no employer visibility. You pay directly. Your therapy is between us and stays that way. More

Also serving Iceland. Iceland.

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You do not have to be ready. You do not have to know what to say. A few sentences is enough.