Pauline Darcis - Psychologist
Location: Leuven & Online
Moving between cultures changes you. Sometimes in ways that are exciting, sometimes in ways that leave you feeling like you don’t quite belong anywhere. Whether you’ve chosen to move abroad, followed a partner, or found yourself far from home for reasons you didn’t choose — I understand how disorienting that can feel.
I’m a trilingual psychologist (English, Dutch, French) with my own cross-cultural history. I grew up between Belgium and the UK, and I’ve worked across mental health services, the European Commission, and academic research into the experiences of refugee and migrant families. These experiences have shaped how I work: I don’t treat cultural adjustment as a side note — I treat it as central to understanding what you’re going through.
I can help with:
Anxiety, low mood, and feeling overwhelmed
Expat and migration adjustment — including identity shifts and loneliness
Navigating life in Belgium when the systems feel opaque
Workplace stress and burnout
Relationship difficulties across cultural differences
Support for teenagers (and their parents) adapting to new environments
My approach
I work collaboratively — we figure out what’s going on together. My approach is grounded in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which focuses on how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours connect. I also draw on my anthropological training to understand the cultural context of your experience, because what you’re going through doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
I offer sessions in English, Dutch, or French — whichever feels most natural to you. Switching between languages during sessions is absolutely fine too.
Qualifications
2025: Master of Science in Social and Cultural Anthropology, KU Leuven, Belgium
2022: Master of Science in Clinical Psychology, University of Reading, United Kingdom
Further Training
2022: Understanding Autism Diploma - New Skills Academy
2022: British Sign Language Diploma - New Skills Academy
Work Experience
2024-2026: Research Assistant, Odisee University of Applied Sciences, Belgium
2023: BlueBook Traineeship, Cabinet of Vice President Schinas, European Commission, Belgium
2020-2022: Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner, TalkingSpace Plus, United Kingdom
