You built a life most people
only talk about
So why does it feel like something's missing?
You left home on purpose. You're living in a country you chose, pursuing a life of novelty, connection, and authentic fulfillment. But hidden amongst the highs are lows you couldn't quite have anticipated. You tell yourself you should be grateful. But that doesn't make the loneliness, doubt, anxiety, or uncertainty go away... If any of this sounds familiar, you're in the right place.
You don't need a therapist who asks you to explain life abroad.
You need a therapist who already knows.
And intercultural couples.
With a therapist who's lived it.
Go from:
- “I choose this life. So why do I doubt it?”
- “Something is off. I've been hoping it would pass for months. ”
- “My relationsip was so strong. Now it's full of tension.”
- “I'm successful on paper. Inside? Full of anxiety.”
To:
- “I stopped apologizing for the life I chose.”
- “I didn't realize how much energy I was spending pretending to be fine.”
- “I trust my partner, my myself, and my relationship.”
- “I feel like I belong - not to a place, but to myself.”
Who I work with
I work with expats, digital nomads and multicultural couples on the actual things that keep them stuck: anxiety that follows them from place to place, avoidance patterns that are sneaky but pervasive, relationships that are hard or nonexistent. We expats are the ones who left the familiar path for something less predictable. Staying the course requires resilience. And, sometimes, it takes help. Here's what that help looks like:
Couples Therapy
For couples willing to look at their own role in what's not working — not just their partner's.
Individual Therapy
For the anxiety, avoidance, self-doubt, and depression you've been managing alone.
Expat Therapy
Not sure where to start? If you're living abroad, this is the overview of how I help.
Relational Life Therapy
A direct approach to recognizing what you do in relationships that isn't working — and changing it.
Anxiety Therapy
Understanding what's driving it, not just managing the symptoms.
Depression Therapy
Getting underneath the heaviness, not just waiting for it to lift.
Guilt and Shame Therapy
The weight you carry about who you are and what you've done — we work with it directly.
Self-Esteem Therapy
For the gap between what you project and what you actually believe about yourself.
Codependency Therapy
For the pattern of losing yourself in other people's needs.
Infidelity Therapy
For couples navigating the aftermath — whether you're trying to repair it or figure out if you can.
Intercultural Marriage Therapy
For the friction that shows up when love crosses cultures — the daily stuff, not just the big conflicts.
I didn't study expat life in a textbook. I'm living it, just like you.
I am Trevor Brown. I'm an American therapist living in Istanbul, married to a Turkish woman, with a young daughter who will grow up between two cultures. I've been the foreigner in the room. I've navigated the identity shift that comes with building a life far from where you started. I know what it takes - and I know its worth.
I came to Istanbul for the first time in my early 20's, planning to stay a week. I stayed a year. I worked as a tour guide, met people from all over the world, and became fascinated by what makes people tick. That fascination took me to graduate school in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. I then ran and operated a private practice in Denver for five years before moving back to Istanbul for good.
Two years ago, I built The Other Therapy because the expats and internationally mobile people I was meeting needed something specific: a therapist who wouldn't waste three sessions just understanding their life circumstances. Someone who'd be honest about what they see — including the ways you might be getting in your own way. I'm a catalyst. I can point you in the direction I think you need to go, but only you can take the steps. The work is yours. I just make sure we're not avoiding the parts that matter.
What working together
actually looks like
I'm direct, so I'll be honest with you. This work focuses less on what happened to you and more on what you're doing now that gets in the way of the life you want. I'll encourage you to choose getting better over temporarily feeling better in the moment. That's not always comfortable — but my clients will tell you it that it moves things along. Here's what we tend to work on::
Understanding Your Anxiety
Not just managing it — understanding what's actually driving it and the defensive moves you make that keep it in place.
Relationships that Actually Work
Look at what you do that gets in the way of the closeness you want — not just what your partner does. Especially when cultural differences are easy to blame.
Breaking Avoidance Patterns
You've built ways of protecting yourself that made sense once. Now they're running the show. This work is about facing what you've been avoiding — at a pace that works, but without letting avoidance win.
Identity and Self-Doubt
Living abroad changes who you are. The self-doubt, the imposter feelings, the sense that you've lost the plot — we look at what's underneath those, not just how to cope with them.
Intercultural Tensions
The friction between cultures is real — in your relationship, your workplace, your daily life. But sometimes 'cultural differences' becomes the explanation for things that are actually about you. We sort out which is which.
Depression & Disconnection
The heaviness, the withdrawal, the going-through-the-motions. Often there are feelings underneath the depression that you've spent a long time not facing. That's where the work is.
Getting started
Sessions are online via secured video
You can be anywhere in the world. Given Istanbul's unique location, scheduling is generally quite flexible across timezones.
Individual Therapy
60-minute personalized session
- One-on-one with licensed therapist
- Secure video conferencing
- Personalized treatment plan
- Flexible scheduling
Couples Therapy
75-minute couples session
- Both partners included
- Communication skills building
- Relationship conflict resolution
- Intercultural understanding
Ready to start? It's simple
Step 1.
Book a free 20-minute consultation
20-minute video call, free-of-charge. No commitment. Just a conversation to see if we're a good fit.
Step 2.
Schedule your first session
If we both feel it's right, we'll book your first full session at a time that suits your location.
Step 3.
Start the real work
Ongoing sessions without weeks of small talk or endless paperwork. We get into what's actually going on from the first session to the last.
Frequently Asked Questions
Testimonials from some previous clients
Trevor's demeanor, thoughtful listening skills, and valuable questions empowered me to speak candidly, and listen carefully to his thoughts and questions. He was able to reframe and demystify things that I believed to be absolutes. Specifically things that were holding me back.
Korey K., Florida
As an intercultural couple, we felt misunderstood by traditional therapists. In The Other Therapy we found someone with first-hand experience. It's been a profound experience.
P&D, Turkey
Since I started with Trevor, I've made huge progress. He strikes the perfect balance between empathy and challenging my old beliefs. I wouldn't be the same person today without him!
Wendy L., Australia
-
Featured in:
-
-
-
-
