Expat life will change you
I know, because it changed me
Moving abroad can be one of the most exciting adventures in life: The anticipation. The fresh start. The sense of opportunity.
It can also be one of the most challenging: Feelings of loneliness, uncertainty, and the quiet question in the back of your mind: Was this the right decision?
​
If you recognise this experience, you are not alone. And you are exactly the kind of person I work with.
My name is Henriette Johnsen. I’m an experienced psychotherapist and former expat who specialise in supporting expats navigating the emotional realities of life abroad.
Through my work, I help expats rediscover their sense of purpose and identity, process difficult emotions, navigate relationship dynamics, and build a life that feels meaningful and grounded – wherever in the world they happen to be living.
Want to work with me as well? Let’s start with a conversation.
My own expat journey
My understanding of expat life is not just theoretical. It’s lived experience!
Danish by birth, I’ve lived in London for more than 10 years of my adult life, spread across three separate periods. I remember the thrill of arriving somewhere new. The sense of opportunity, adventure, and new beginnings.
​
But I also experienced the profound loneliness and identity challenges of expat life as a trailing spouse. Building friendships, creating a meaningful life, and navigating changing relationships often felt overwhelming.
​
This deepened after my divorce. As a single mother of three, I faced financial insecurity and felt caught between two realities. England had become my children’s home: Their father was there, and over time we had built a life with friendships and a sense of connection. I had also begun to reconnect with myself, finding a sense of emotional belonging I was afraid to lose.
​
At the same time, daily life felt increasingly unstable, and I was aware of the security and support we might have had in Denmark. I felt torn between the life we had grown into and the need for greater stability.
But leaving was not simply a choice I could make. Because of the Hague Convention, I could not return to Denmark with my children without their father’s consent. I felt profoundly stuck. The sleepless nights and constant stress took a toll on my mental health, and I again struggled with anxiety, a deep sense of not belonging, and a quiet questioning of who I was.
​
This period, painful as it was, became a turning point.
Through therapeutic work and personal development, I gradually rebuilt my sense of self, agency, and direction. It was one of the most challenging times of my life – and also what led me to the work I do today.
​
Eventually, I relocated back to Denmark, creating a life closer to friends and family, with a renewed sense of stability and meaning.
​
So, I know.
I know how deeply transformative, and sometimes painful, expat life can be.
​
This is how I can help you
As a UK-trained therapist living in Denmark, I am bilingual in English and Danish and work with clients in both languages.
I support expats from all over the world: individuals, international couples, and families navigating life abroad, life transitions, and even repatriation (moving back home can be just as hard as moving away).
– And the impact that these have on mental health, emotional wellbeing, and relationships.
People come to me with challenges such as:
-
identity shifts after relocation
-
stress, anxiety, or depression
-
cross cultural difficulties
-
repatriation or relocation decisions
-
rebuilding confidence and direction in life.
Would you like to explore, if I might be a good fit to help you as well? Let’s start with a simple conversation: 25 minutes of your time, non-binding, and for free.
Sometimes a single conversation is enough to help you see your situation in a new way.
And if we decide to work together, we will take the next steps from there – at your pace.
​
How I work as a therapist
Therapy, at its heart, is about creating a safe space where you can explore your experiences openly and without judgement.
My aim is to create a warm, compassionate, and confidential relationship where we can explore what is happening in your life and what you need moving forward.
I do not follow a rigid model but instead focus on designing a holistic approach in which I can draw on various schools of psychology depending on what is most helpful for you. Amongst others, these include attachment theory, psychodynamic psychotherapy, existential psychotherapy, emotionally focused therapy, trauma healing, and nervous system regulation.
In practice, this means our work together might involve:
-
understanding patterns in your relationships
-
developing new ways of relating to yourself and others
-
exploring emotional responses and inner conflicts
-
building tools for coping with anxiety or stress
-
establishing nervous system regulation
-
reconnecting with your values, integrity, and sense of identity
Therapy is not about “fixing” you.
It is about helping you understand yourself more deeply, so you can make choices that align with the life you want to live.
If you are curious about how I could support you, you can explore my work here:
The values that guide me as a therapist (and human being)
My work is shaped by some of my core beliefs about humans and the world in general:
First and foremost,
Everyone is doing their best
I work from a heartfelt and fundamental belief that everyone is doing their best with the resources they have.
To make peace with yourself, it’s important to keep in mind that you do what you do for good reasons.
Sometimes we have developed relational patterns that might have helped us earlier in life, but no longer serve us. By understanding where these patterns come from, you will be able to depart with them and create new strategies better aligned with your values, integrity, and identity.​
​
In therapy, we explore these patterns with curiosity rather than judgement. ​In the words of one of the founders of humanistic psychology, Carl Rogers:
​
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.”
Emotions are not the enemy
In modern day life, we tend to strive for happiness at all costs, allowing very little room for the full spectrum of human emotion.
Suffering is part of life
Life inevitably involves loss, uncertainty, and change.
Some even grow up learning that emotions are a weakness that should be controlled, hidden, or ignored.
In reality, emotions are an essential part of how we understand ourselves. They are signals that guide us towards our needs, values, and longings.
​
Part of the therapeutic process involves learning how to listen to these signals, even though it can be painfully difficult.
​
When we allow space for the full range of human emotion – e.g. happiness, sadness, grief, anger, fear, and vulnerability alike – not only do we gain a better understanding of ourselves, we also create a more fulfilling, meaningful, and satisfactory life.
We may lose loved ones, experience illness, face unexpected life transitions, or realise that some dreams will not unfold as we once imagined.
Therapy cannot always change your life conditions. What it can do is help you find acceptance, renewed meaning, and vitality in the face of them.
When difficult experiences are given a place in your life story, they can gradually become part of a more compassionate, life-affirming understanding of yourself – and of what it means to be human. This will allow space for new meaning to emerge.
Our attachment style shapes our life
Change is possible
Modern neuroscience shows that the brain retains its ability to adapt and form new pathways throughout life.
​From both clinical and personal experience, I believe that when we understand our attachment style and how our nervous system responds, we begin to notice our triggers, physical reactions, and protective patterns – including how we respond to feelings of shame.
With this awareness, we can learn to self-regulate in emotionally difficult situations, strengthen our relationships, and move towards a more secure sense of connection.
​​​This means that even deeply rooted emotional patterns can gradually shift. Change rarely happens overnight. But with the right support, you can begin to see your experiences in new ways and develop healthier, more fulfilling ways of relating to yourself, others, and the world around you.
I can help you create a better life for yourself going forward.
It is never too late to begin.
​
The professional details
This is the formal part: My qualifications, certifications, and ongoing professional training that support the work I do with clients.
I trained in London as a psychotherapist and graduated with a First-Class Honours BA in Integrative-Relational Psychotherapeutic Counselling from Middlesex University.
Click here to learn more about what psychotherapy actually is.
As an accredited member of Dansk Psykoterapeutforening (MPF), I work in accordance with their ethical guidelines, including ongoing professional supervision and development.
In England, I practised under the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP.
I am also a registered and verified member of:
These communities support ongoing learning and professional development, ensuring that my work continues to evolve.
If you would like to see the very long list of certifications and courses that I continue to further educate myself with, simply press the button below.