Couples therapy in English in Las Palmas, including couples who speak different languages

For international and bilingual couples

Gran Canaria is full of couples who met across borders: a Brit and a Canarian, a German and a Colombian, two people who fell in love in English even though neither of them grew up speaking it. Those relationships bring a lot, and they come with their own pressures:

• Arguing in your second language. In a fight, every word counts. The partner who's less fluent often feels outgunned, or just goes quiet.
• One partner translates, the other depends. With in-laws, doctors, schools and Spanish bureaucracy. Over time that creates an imbalance that rarely gets talked about.
• Cultural differences. How you talk about money, how much say your families have, who does what at home, how anger and affection get shown.
• Where to live. Staying on the island, moving back to one partner's country, which language the kids grow up in. Decisions like these often carry the real conflict.

In therapy, each of you can speak in the language you feel in. I switch between languages during the session, make sure the important things land with both of you, and watch for misunderstandings that come from language or culture rather than from the relationship itself.

Any combination of English, Spanish, German and Swedish works.

When couples therapy can help

• You argue a lot and get nowhere.
• You feel distant, more like flatmates than partners.
• There's been an affair or a breach of trust.
• Jealousy is taking up too much space.
• You're facing a big decision and can't agree.
• You're thinking about separating and want to decide carefully.

You don't need to be in crisis. Many couples come when they first notice things cooling off, and that's when therapy tends to work best.

Affairs and trust

An affair doesn't have to mean the end, but it is a wound that needs a process. We work on three things: understanding what happened and why, giving the hurt partner room to be heard without turning sessions into a trial, and deciding together whether you want to rebuild and on what terms. The same applies to other breaches of trust: hidden money, repeated lies, broken promises.

Jealousy

Some jealousy is human. When it's constant, it starts running the relationship: checking phones, interrogating, avoiding plans so as not to set the other person off. Using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), we look at the thoughts and insecurities driving it and practise asking for reassurance without controlling each other.

Separating well

Sometimes the goal isn't to stay together but to separate without tearing each other apart, especially when there are children. I can help you make the decision clearly, communicate it, and set up the next stage as co-parents. For international couples that often includes hard questions about countries and languages.

How it works

Sessions are usually weekly at first, then every two weeks.

How many sessions will we need?

It depends on what you bring and how long the problem has been there. A specific conflict can often be worked through in a few months; rebuilding trust usually takes longer. We review progress together regularly, so you always know where you stand and can decide whether to continue.

In person in Las Palmas, or online

My practice is at C. Tomás Miller 18, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. If you live in the south of the island, on another island or abroad, or one of you travels a lot, we can meet by video call. It works just as well for most couples, and you can mix the two.

About me

I'm a healthcare psychologist authorised in Spain (Psicóloga Sanitaria, registration no. P-02710), with more than 20 years of experience. I studied psychology at the Complutense University of Madrid and hold a Master's in Clinical Psychology with a CBT focus, the approach with the strongest scientific evidence. I've lived and worked for long periods in Germany and the United States, so I know first-hand what building a life across languages and cultures involves.

Frequently asked questions

Related links

• Online therapy
• In-person therapy
• Family therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Book your appointment