Living in Barcelona means enjoying a vibrant, cosmopolitan city full of opportunities. But it also means facing the fast pace of a Mediterranean metropolis that doesn't always make it easy to look after your mental health. Long working hours, commuting across a sprawling city, social pressure and a high cost of living all generate a level of stress that often goes unnoticed until it starts to affect quality of life.
If you live in Barcelona and you need professional psychological support without adding more travel to your schedule, online therapy is an effective and convenient option. I'm Xènia Capel Salcedo, a licensed health psychologist registered with the COPC (Reg. No. 14982), and I offer video-call psychology sessions with the same quality and rigor as in-person therapy.
Why does online therapy work for people in Barcelona?
Barcelona is a city where time is a scarce resource. Between work, metro or bus journeys, family obligations and social life, finding a slot to attend therapy in person can become an obstacle that delays the decision to start.
Online therapy removes this barrier. From your apartment in Eixample, Gràcia, El Raval, Sant Martí or any neighborhood in Barcelona, you can connect to your session with total ease. Numerous scientific studies confirm that online psychology is just as effective as in-person therapy for most issues, including anxiety, depression and trauma.
Barcelona is also home to many people who come from other cities or countries. If you'd rather have therapy in English or Spanish, I can see you in either language with full fluency.
What problems do I treat in online therapy?
As a licensed health psychologist, I treat a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties. The areas in which I specialize and the most common reasons for consultation among people living in Barcelona include:
Trauma Treatment with EMDR
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a specialized therapy for treating traumatic experiences. Whether you've gone through a situation of violence, an accident, workplace harassment or any experience that has left an emotional mark, EMDR helps you process the memory so it stops interfering with your current life. Barcelona is a high-intensity city, and many people accumulate experiences without being able to properly work them through.
Eating Disorders (EDs)
Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and other EDs require a specialized professional approach. The aesthetic pressure that exists in a major city like Barcelona, amplified by social media, can aggravate or trigger these disorders. I work with an integrative approach that addresses both eating symptoms and the deeper emotional causes.
Anxiety, Stress and Depression
Barcelona's pace of life generates many cases of anxiety, chronic stress and depression. Job insecurity, the difficulty of finding affordable housing and the constant pressure to "perform" socially are factors that directly affect emotional well-being. Therapy gives you a safe space to understand what's happening to you and develop concrete tools for emotional management.
Gender-Based Violence and Abuse
If you are experiencing or have experienced gender-based violence, online therapy can be especially helpful because it lets you access professional help from the safety of your own space. I work with women who need to rebuild their self-esteem, process the trauma they've lived through and regain control of their lives.
Child and Family Therapy
Children also experience the effects of life in a big city: school adjustment difficulties, separation anxiety, behavior problems or social challenges. I offer online child therapy tailored to each age, also working with families to address the dynamics that influence the child's well-being.
Autism (ASD) and ADHD
Diagnosis and support for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or ADHD is one of my specialty areas. Many people come to therapy without a previous diagnosis, having adapted for years without understanding why certain things felt so difficult. The online format allows for convenient and consistent follow-up.
How do online therapy sessions work?
The process for starting online therapy from Barcelona is very simple:
1. First contact: You can reach me by WhatsApp, phone or email. We'll briefly talk about your situation and resolve any questions about how online therapy works.
2. First session: We connect through a secure video call. This first session is to tell me what's troubling you, get to know your history, and set therapeutic goals together.
3. Therapeutic process: Sessions last 55-60 minutes and the usual frequency is weekly, although it can be adapted to your needs. We work with scientifically validated techniques and at your own pace.
4. Follow-up: Between sessions, you may have tools and exercises to work on during the week. Online therapy allows for close, ongoing follow-up.
Advantages of online therapy if you live in Barcelona
Doing online therapy from Barcelona lets you:
• Save commute time: In a city where moving around at rush hour can mean 45 minutes per trip, avoiding a physical visit is a real and significant advantage in keeping consistency through your therapeutic process.
• Greater scheduling flexibility: I can adapt session times to your professional and personal routine, including midday slots, afternoons or even early-morning sessions before going to work.
• Comfort and privacy: You attend the session from your home, a space where you feel safe and comfortable, without sharing a waiting room with anyone or worrying about running into people you know.
• Guaranteed continuity: If you travel for work, need to relocate or change neighborhoods, your therapy isn't interrupted. This continuity is key to treatment effectiveness, especially in complex processes like trauma or eating disorders.
• Same professional quality: As a licensed health psychologist, I guarantee the same confidentiality, rigor and ethics as in in-person sessions. The video-call platforms I use comply with data protection regulations.
Who I am: Xènia Capel Salcedo
I'm Xènia Capel Salcedo, a licensed health psychologist registered with the Official College of Psychology of Catalonia (COPC) under number 14982. I practice psychology with passion and commitment, combining in-person consultations in Igualada with online care for people throughout Spain.
My training includes specialization in EMDR, eating disorders, gender-based violence, child therapy, autism (ASD) and ADHD. I firmly believe that every person carries within them the capacity to grow, and my role is to walk that path with them, offering tools, attentive listening and respect.
Take the first step
If you live in Barcelona and feel that you need psychological support, you don't need to wait for the perfect day to commute to a practice. Online therapy lets you start today, from your home. Get in touch for a free first informational consultation and we'll take the first step together toward your emotional well-being.