JOIN OUR TEAM
For expat
English-speaking therapists in Barcelona who wish to belong to an international and Supportive team
After landing in Barcelona, are you struggling to find English-speaking clients or do you miss being part of a team?
Perhaps you’re wondering “can I work as a counsellor in Spain?” Perhaps you would like to belong to a group practice in which you can work independently with a lot of freedom, but still feel part of a team.
Where you can pursue your passion for therapy and use your expat experience to help members of the international community who are going through a rough patch or wish to enhance well-being.
Join Therapy in Barcelona’s team of expat therapists. Gain client referrals, flexible scheduling, and support in a thriving international practice.
Our service can make your life easier
A full caseload
You’ll get to work with your ideal international clients referred by Therapy in Barcelona that match your expertise and preferences.
6 therapy spaces
You can see your clients in one of our 6 comfortable rooms in a stunning Modernista building in the centre of Barcelona.
Flexibility
You choose what hours you want to work, limited only by client demand and room availability. It facilitates work-life balance.
PEER CONSULTATION
Group intervisions, individual reviews and a Google Chat group for support. You’ll have the opportunity to learn and share experiences and knowledge with like minded professionals.
SUPPORT
The centre is run with professionalism, care and passion by a supportive Australian therapist with over 20 years of experience. Check out Leigh Matthews’ LinkedIn.
INTERNATIONAL TEAM
You’ll belong to a diverse, multicultural and multilingual team that will broaden your view of the world. Check out our team.
What do we look for in our collaborating psychology-trained therapists?
Skills and Experience
Demonstrated skills and experience in the provision of evidence based tools with some or all of the following groups: children, adolescents, adults, families, couples and groups.
Rapport Building
Strong communication and rapport building skills. You are able to create real connections with your clients, since this is the key to positive outcomes.
Genuine Interest
Genuine interest in client wellbeing. You are warm and respectful, creating a safe, non-judgmental space, so clients will feel comfortable to share and feel held in a difficult moment.
Great Work Life Balance
Great self-care. You are committed to increasing your self-awareness, vision and personal development, living out the therapeutic principles you convey.
Couch to Coach
Capacity to generalise therapeutic frameworks to coaching and counselling sessions. Accepting the limits on your practice as a therapist and not a psychologist in Spain.
Clinical Judgment
Capacity to identify clinically severe cases and refer outward where appropriate. A keen awareness of your own limits, experience and expertise.
Private Practice
Previous private practice experience. You’re used to managing your diary, applying your policies, completing notes in a timely fashion and working independently.
Ethical Practice
Commitment to ethics. To promote respect, dignity and just care within the context of the counsellor and client relationship.
CPD
Continuing Professional Development (CPD). You are committed to honing your skills and being the therapist you would like to work with.
100% Team Player
Genuine interest in the project and your colleagues. And the reputation of Therapy in Barcelona.
Ongoing Supervision
Your own supervision and participation in weekly group supervision with the team. To support you and enhance your ability to provide value to your clients.
Expat Experience
You're an expat therapist who speaks English, ideally other languages. You bring experience working with globally mobile clients / TCKs/ sojourners.
WHAT MAKES US SPECIAL?
EFFECTIVENESS
Selectively chosen professionals, with varying years of experience under their belts, who practise and grow their skills together.
SENSE OF COMMUNITY
By sharing, supporting and learning from each other, our team is transformed into a community. Join a supportive therapy team Barcelona. Kindness is key to our culture.
PSYCHOLOGY-TRAINED EXPATS
We work in an expat friendly environment, sharing a commitment to diversity and a passion for change.
Therapy in Barcelona is a unique project, bringing together a group of psychologists from around the globe whose goal is to offer their services as therapists in Spain and work to enhance the well being of the international community in Barcelona and beyond.
What requirements should you meet in order to build up your caseload with English-speaking clients and become part of the team?
Maintain your identity as an independent contractor while also promoting Therapy in Barcelona. This means you take your own payments and manage your client scheduling, rescheduling, and cancellation policy. Capacity to manage your calendar in a consistent and organised manner.
Align with the mission and values of Therapy in Barcelona.
Offer a minimum of 20 hours availability a week at Therapy in Barcelona in sessional blocks.
Accept client referrals from Therapy in Barcelona.
Participate in intervision sessions and social lunches or events.
Pay Therapy in Barcelona for the provision of extensive tangible and intangible services that enable your work: a well established brand reputation, comprehensive intake services, group supervision, professional library, ongoing support when you need it, access to community referral database, rooms, cleaning, consumables, Wi-Fi, electricity, water, air-conditioning, heating, marketing, website maintenance, social media management, blogging, sponsored articles in expat publications and more.
Organise your malpractice insurance. Check out BGI UK for a quote. Therapists who collaborate with us must have a ‘Medical Malpractice & Third Party Liability’ policy for at least €5,000,000 and that the policy MUST include an ‘indemnity to principal’ clause.
We are not the right fit for you if you're
If that’s you, awesome! But we’re not the place for you. We dedicate a lot of time to our team, and provide the flexibility, autonomy and space to allow each member of our team to have freedom in their role as a freelance therapist. You can still work independently but the ideal person is invested in time and energy to clients referred to them by Therapy in Barcelona.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Our collaborators’ experience of working with Therapy in Barcelona
I am extremely happy and grateful to be working at this amazing place. The team is filled with talented and passionate therapists. I love the collaborative environment and the opportunities for professional growth and development. The company values work-life balance and creates a positive and inclusive atmosphere for all. I truly look forward to coming to work each day and am proud to be a part of this dynamic and thriving practice.
MARIA P
It has been over a year since I began collaborating as a therapist with Therapy in Barcelona. A collaboration I am truly grateful for, giving me the opportunity to continue the work I love and the space to grow as a practitioner abroad. There is no greater feeling than living the lifestyle you desire without having to give up your professional goals. Our intake team takes the initiative to find administrative ways to make our collaboration feel seamless and are responsive toward any support needed or updates provided. Leigh, offers ongoing continuing educational courses, freelance related workshops, and judgement free supervisions, feeling held in all areas of your work. Life as an expat and freelancer can also be solitary, that such powerful work feels lighter when you're in a space of warm, friendly, and like-minded therapists. If I had to summarize what collaborating at Therapy in Barcelona means into three words I would say it's, encouraging, rewarding, and nurturing! Thanks TIB!"
BRIANA
Being part of the TIB team has been a wonderful experience. From the very beginning, I felt supported by Leigh and the Intake Team, as well as by my colleagues. This is a dream collaboration and work environment for me! Thank you TIB for being what you are and supporting my work to shine.
HELENA
Since my first day working as an Intake Coordinator at TIB, I have felt a sense of belonging. The support and positivity from everyone has been phenomenal. We try our best to ensure that we meet our clients' expectations. We may not be perfect and mistakes can happen but the team is always there to support me. They say that there is no 'i' in team, and this is the case here. Whether we are successful or not, the team is there to give us a pat on the back, or some positive feedback that motivates you to keep trying to do your best. The therapists, my colleague Joanna, and the founder of TIB, Leigh Matthews are truly wonderful professionals and people. No matter what concern I have, big or small, they are there to help me out. It has been an amazing feeling so far, and I'm sure it will continue to be.
JUDY
As a collaborating therapist with Therapy in Barcelona, I believe it is fair to say that working with this centre has met my needs for working with clients who match my areas of expertise, and for filling up my caseload in a short period of time which is impressive given that I am an expat myself and have no connections in Barcelona. Communication with Leigh and our Intake Coordinator has been really efficient and support is generously offered. There is a fortnightly supervision which we are all encouraged to attend and it’s a great space for support on the personal and professional levels. Working with Therapy in Barcelona has been essential in boosting my professional development during this phase of my life journey!
TASNEEM
I enjoy working at Therapy in Barcelona, the therapists with whom I work with are professional, kind and just great people. The intake coordinators Judy and Joanna are meticulous in placing clients with the right therapist and the founder Leigh Matthews is passionate about wellness, helping out expat clients and supporting therapists to do their best work.
DR CYNTHIA
Having worked in different places across Europe, I have to say that working as an intake coordinator at Therapy in Barcelona is an ongoing amazing experience. We’re always doing our best to fulfil all clients’ expectations and needs. Therapy in Barcelona helps to make that experience as smooth as possible, when we know that this first step to start therapy might be so difficult to make. But we are here for our clients, every step of the way. “WE” is one of the best parts of the work at Therapy in Barcelona, as we are a team that has our clients’ best interests at heart. All therapists are great professionals, amazing people and colleagues. Leigh Matthews, the founder of Therapy in Barcelona, is a guardian angel of all those processes and always there to help, to clarify any questions, concerns and just to give support to me and everyone on the team. Communicating with Leigh has been great from the very beginning and I can’t express enough how important that base of kindness and professionalism is, to make our work feel valuable and appreciated.
JOANNA
My experience of working at Therapy in Barcelona has been positive from the offset. The team is supportive and I have particularly enjoyed the exchange of knowledge of different disciplines in our group supervisions. The intake team has worked hard to understand my skills and very quickly filled my caseload.
MARIA L
As a collaborating Sexologist with Therapy In Barcelona, I am so pleased to have the chance to work with such a professional team of international therapists. The team is made up of a diverse and inclusive team offering therapy in multiple languages. The therapy rooms are not only beautiful, but comfortable and make you feel at home. I appreciate the attention to detail that is given to each and every client.
AVRIL
I truly recommend Therapy in Barcelona. Leigh is an extraordinary person who runs a great team of professionals. A perfect combination of beautiful human beings with highly trained therapists.
ANNA
Therapy in Barcelona has been my professional home for a long time, and I owe a lot to you and for this opportunity to grow and learn so much from you and alongside you. I appreciate so much what you've given me, your kind attitude, your support and your professional approach. I will definitely take a lot of that with me. Therapy In Barcelona will always have a place in my heart, and I expect to keep that relationship on some capacity in the future! With love, and thank you for everything 🙂
EYAL
From my position of working as a collaborator at Therapy in Barcelona, I can not recommend this center highly enough. It is run with extremely high levels of professionalism, care and passion.
SARA
I have felt part of the team from early on and the collaborators, Judy, Joanna and Leigh, have made that happen, so thank you! It is inspiring to be part of such an experienced and professional but warm team.
KATIE
I collaborated with TIB for a little over two years, and it was a truly enriching experience. For me, it was essential to connect with clients who were the right fit — and TIB was a great bridge in making those connections happen. I also always felt I could reach out to the team, including Leigh, whenever I needed support with a case. That sense of availability was super valuable and gave me peace of mind, knowing that consultation was always an option. Another highlight of working with TIB was the community of therapists — I met so many wonderful people during my time there. Overall, it was a very meaningful experience for me, and I’m grateful for both the professional growth and the connections I gained through my time with TIB.
DR SARAH
[Collaborating with] Therapy in Barcelona...has been an exceptionally positive experience. TIB not only cares about the quality of care to their clients but also to their team. The intake process takes the stress away of not only finding clients but they also take time to match a client to the therapist that will best meet their needs. Leigh is always there to provide support (ie. to discuss client cases or to brainstorm some new means of broadening skills and client engagement). The office environment is very comfortable and the vibe between all the therapists is very warm and supportive.
RACHELLE
I love working in collaboration with Therapy in Barcelona! I enjoy being part of a team of highly skilled and kind fellow therapists. The founder of TIB, Leigh takes time whenever needed to offer her broad clinical experience in a very efficient as well as supportive way, organizes group supervision as well as professional workshops for the whole team. Joanna and Judy from Intake Services are perfectly organized and prove their ability to juggle a high mental load in a very efficient manner daily.
CÉLINE
I have been collaborating with Therapy in Barcelona for two or so years and I couldn’t be happier. It was a big opportunity for me to be able to pursue my career as a foreigner psychologist here in Barcelona. It has been really pleasant to work in a very respectful, collaborative environment where you get a sense of belonging and support from everyone who works here. I also had the flexibility to choose the hours I wanted to work and there is great communication between the intake coordinator and my own needs/expertise as a therapist to match me with the clients that I can work with.
CLAUDIA
I have had a wonderful experience working at Therapy in Barcelona! I truly enjoy working alongside every one of my colleagues, and I have found our intake team to be highly skilled, reliable, and a joy to work with. I particularly appreciate the flexibility and the independence that I have while working at TIB, balanced with a feeling of support and connection with the rest of the team. I am so happy and grateful to be doing this work at such an amazing group practice!
ORLY
Follow these steps
Confirm that you meet the following requirements:
- Be trained and/or registered as a Psychologist OR Psychotherapist in your country of origin and be able to transition to offering your services as a Psychotherapist or Counsellor in person in Barcelona and online.
- Provide therapy to a wide range of clients with a wide range of issues
- Have at least 4 years experience providing therapy
- Have experience in running your own private practice
- Can speak English fluently (other languages a bonus!)
- Are willing to commit to us for at least 2 years
- Have, or be organising, malpractice and public liability insurance. Check out BGI UK for a quote.
- Have, or be organising, an N.I.E. and be able to work in Spain. Talk to the Team at Entre Tramites for assistance with your administrative needs.
- Be, or are working toward being, registered as an autonomo (independent contractor / freelancer). Entre Tramites can help you with this process and we can offer other gestor contacts too.
- If you need visa assistance Entre Tramites can help you with that too. We can also offer other immigration lawyer contacts. We don’t sponsor visas or offer employment contracts.
If you’ve ticked all the checkboxes, then…
Send a brief 2 minute video telling us why you’d make a great match for our team, your questionnaire, résumé, and qualifications to us at info@therapyinbarcelona.com
Complete our questionnaire
We cannot consider any applications that are missing the video, questionnaire or CV.
If you meet our requirements and match our team and client needs, we will send you some info about how we work and then proceed to the next steps to determine our fit if you feel our model is for you.
The next steps include the completion of a case conceptualisation, taxonomy of therapy and an in-person interview.
If there is a fit for both you and us, we’d love for you to be part of our team.
Do you have questions about working as a counsellor in Spain?
Navigating the complexities of working in Spain as a counsellor can be overwhelming.
With over 20 years in the field and 15 years working in Spain, our Director and Founder, Australian Psychologist Leigh Matthews, has helped countless professionals make the leap. She offers one-on-one Therapist Launchpad consultations designed to provide practical answers, useful professional connections, and resources to help you move forward confidently.
Here’s what professionals have said about Therapist Launchpad consultations with Leigh:
“I just had an incredibly positive experience from my session with Leigh. She was warm and welcoming, which made me feel comfortable. We quickly got into working on the main issues I wanted to discuss. She was super focused on talking through each of them in detail, listening to what I needed, and responding clearly and positively. Throughout the conversation, she provided great ideas and useful resources that have been a game changer. I now feel far more confident and relaxed about the way ahead. Overall, this was a great investment and I highly recommend it.” – Matthew Kalitowski, Psychologist/Coach
“I met Leigh for support and her guidance was so helpful! She was clear and focused on the specialty I want to embark on. Leigh is a creative leader and knows how to strategize to achieve results. I feel more confident to initiate steps that would take me to where I want to be. I highly recommend her services.” – Luciana Ruiz, LCSW, Therapist
“Seeing Leigh was totally worth it. I wouldn’t even hesitate if you are on the fence. Leigh made me feel at ease almost instantly. She is super down to earth and real. I found that Leigh will give you the resources that she has at her fingertips and then go above and beyond to work with your unique situation. You feel cared for and heard. I would highly suggest you bite the bullet and see her. You feel welcome to follow up after on any points discussed.” – Celia Fakhoury, MACP Masters Counselling Psychology | Psychotherapist | School Counsellor | Clinical Mental Health Counsellor
“Leigh answered all of my questions – many of them even before I asked! I learned a lot about the process of getting a therapy practice in Spain started and am very grateful I invested in this opportunity. I would recommend meeting with Leigh to anyone who is pursuing a therapy career in Spain, especially those who have already started one in another country.” – Kyle Hulsebus
“At her core, Leigh is the essence of kindness and generosity. A visionary, who begins from a place of deep listening, Leigh transforms conversations into action. She is a person who is not afraid to throw a stone in a pond, ride the ripples, and trust in the goodness of the universe. In one conversation she opened my mind and my heart to possibilities I never could have dreamed of. Thank you Leigh.” – Judith Wides
“Leigh provided clear, focused guidance and resources that were a game changer. I now feel confident and ready to move forward. Highly recommend!” – Matthew Kalitowski, Psychologist/Coach
“Leigh Matthews is a tremendous, full-hearted human resource. She is equal parts rigorous and humane in her guidance for therapists moving to Spain. My consultation with her was inspiring, in-depth, and practical in reassuring ways. I became the recipient of both her hard-earned expertise and the warmth of a new, collegial friendship. It’s hard to imagine a better gateway for launching this new chapter—and I am so grateful for her solidarity and advice.” – Melanie Drane, MA, MFA, LMFT
“I had my consult call with Leigh, who was able to clearly lay out what I needed to begin my practice in and around Maresme, Spain. Leigh was warm and encouraging, and had loads of helpful tips about working with my target clients in Spain. Her generous sharing of knowledge and experience helped me feel secure in knowing I can provide services that will help people here, while making sure my practice is ethical and sustainable. I came away from our call with clear, concrete action steps, as well as a sense that providing services here in Spain will be as fulfilling as it has been throughout my previous years as a therapist. I also feel that much more confident referring folks to Therapy in Barcelona, having gotten a glimpse of Leigh’s practice ethos and the rationale behind what Therapy in Barcelona is offering. Super-helpful!! Five stars, would recommend!” -Cynthia Longino, EMDR Therapist
“Thank you Leigh for our awesome session! I found it extremely helpful, and really appreciated your thoroughness, your kindness and your authenticity. “ – Maria Pantazis
“I arranged a Launchpad consultation with Leigh to further research what a career as a therapist would look like in Spain. Leigh has a wealth of experience in both the practical and professional matters. Her knowledge was communicated in a relaxed and warm manner during the call which meant I didn’t hesitate to ask any questions. It was clear that Leigh is enthusiastic about ensuring therapists are accurately informed before they make the move. If you are considering it, I would highly recommend booking a consultation” – Katie Connolly, BSc (Hons) Psychology, PGDip CBT, BABCP accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist.
Or, Are you ready to join the team?
To enjoy your client work as part of a team of international like-minded professionals who are working to help the expat community in Barcelona and beyond?
