What counts as online therapy here
Online therapy in the Netherlands usually means video sessions with a licensed psychologist, therapist, or counselor, rather than a specific app or brand.
The therapist still needs the same credentials as an in-person one -- most importantly, registration with the BIG register, the government’s official record of healthcare professionals.
Sessions can be entirely remote or mixed with occasional in-person visits.
For English speakers, the appeal is straightforward: no commute, and a wider pool of therapists who actually work in English rather than translated Dutch.
Two different routes, two different costs
There are really two separate systems here, and mixing them up is the most common mistake.
One runs through Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering) and mental health care (GGZ); the other is private, English-language-focused practice that is paid out of pocket or through supplementary insurance.
The insurance route is cheaper but slower and mostly Dutch-language by default.
The private route costs more per session but is built around expats and English speakers from the start.
The insurance-covered route
To get mental health care through basisverzekering, the process starts with a huisarts (GP), not with the therapist directly.
The huisarts assesses the complaint and issues a referral to a GGZ provider, and only then does insurance cover the sessions, whether they happen online or in person.
This route does not skip the GP step just because the therapy itself is remote.
Anyone unsure where to start with the healthcare system generally, including registering with a huisarts, should treat that as the first task, since it gates access to almost everything else in Dutch mental health care.
The private, expat-focused route
Private online therapy does not require a referral.
A client can contact a therapist directly, book a session, and pay per session or through supplementary insurance if their policy includes one.
This is where most English-speaking, expat-oriented practices operate, because they are not tied to the GGZ referral system.
The tradeoff is cost: without a referral, basisverzekering does not reimburse it.
Finding a specific English-speaking therapist
This page deliberately does not name individual platforms or therapists, because a listing is only useful if it has been checked.
For an actual list of vetted, English-speaking options in Amsterdam, see Amsterdam Psychologists and Therapists: A Guide to Finding Support.
For a shorter, curated shortlist aimed specifically at expats, see Best 3 Psychologists and Counselors in Amsterdam for Expats.
Both cover therapists who offer online sessions, not just in-person ones.
What to check before booking
- Confirm BIG registration -- this applies whether the practice is Dutch-based or works with expats specifically.
- Ask directly whether sessions are billed through basisverzekering, a supplementary policy, or fully out of pocket.
- Check that the therapist’s working language is genuinely English, not just listed as a secondary language.
- Ask whether video sessions run through a secure, GDPR-compliant platform, since general video-call apps are not built for clinical use.
If it’s urgent
Online therapy is not built for crises.
For urgent mental health support, contact a huisartsenpost (out-of-hours GP service) or, for suicide prevention specifically, call 113 (113 Zelfmoordpreventie), which operates in the Netherlands.
Neither of those requires an existing referral or registration.
