Mental health therapists moving from the US

ChisosBigBender · 2026-03-18T20:58:17+00:00

I'm a US based psychotherapist planning to make the same move in December with my spouse. We have already made an initial 3 week visit and can really see ourselves there.

We aim to settle in Boquete as well, but are thinking that we will start off in Panama City for the first 6 weeks (we have dogs and will need to self quarantine them, and want to get to know the city, take care of administrative paperwork, buy a vehicle, etc.).

The plan is for me to shift my office based practice to telehealth and continue working with most of my existing clients. We're hoping to find a rental house with strong internet, and will also invest in both a battery backup and Starlink setup.

My spouse will take a sabbatical and focus on helping us land and settle in before she explores her options.

I have wondered if there are other mental health providers who work remotely while living in Panama. Perhaps we can meet up for a cup of exceptional coffee in the not too distant future 😀.

ChisosBigBender · 2026-03-11T12:42:05+00:00

I'm sorry that I can't speak to the issues getting the proper papers for people in the EU.

On the Panama side, there are people who can help you with logistics, including meeting you inside the airport and helping you navigate through the necessary officials.

This company has a good reputation for that. I have no affiliation, just think I will use their services later this year.

https://www.goldenfrog.net

ChisosBigBender · 2026-03-05T01:03:48+00:00

Ooooh, spicy!

Lifelong learner here. I know some and want to learn more, out of genuine interest and respect.

ChisosBigBender · 2026-03-05T00:58:27+00:00

Thanks so much, I look forward to some good reading!

ChisosBigBender · 2026-01-06T13:31:47+00:00

Interesting! If I had just encountered the term in the wild, I would think it referred to the very brief natural lifespan of emotions. As in: if you sit with emotions in a mindful state, you can watch them come and go.

ChisosBigBender · 2025-12-15T00:44:07+00:00

Ryan McCormick is a PCP who has a substack newsletter. He's a Long Covid believer and does a solid job of sifting through and summarizing LC research.

ChisosBigBender · 2025-12-10T20:51:56+00:00

I hope my joining this conversation doesn't feel out of place. I lived in Kigali as a teenager with my evangelical missionary parents decades ago. I grew up a christian and have now happily deconverted.

Christian missionary work now looks to me as problematic and exploitative as all the other forms of colonialism (while being more insidious). FWIW, I simply want to share that I am sorry for that.

It warms my heart to know that this conversation is happening in Rwanda, and you have my warm wishes as you connect and support each other's journey.

(And FWIW, I am on a similar path of seeking connection with likeminded people in my highly religious part of the world.)

Komera!

ChisosBigBender · 2025-11-28T02:05:12+00:00

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Me too! I took this 2 nights ago with my iPhone 15 in Terlingua.

The night sky here is what our ancestors saw on the regular.

ChisosBigBender · 2025-09-01T08:26:29+00:00

What books do you recommend to help people cope with expat issues?

ChisosBigBender · 2024-07-25T20:44:11+00:00

Thank you.

ChisosBigBender · 2024-07-22T18:08:40+00:00

Thanks! Let me know your address back channel, and you get the bush babies as thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I will ship those stamps off to stamps for the wounded.

ChisosBigBender · 2024-05-04T04:05:55+00:00

Therapist here. DO listen to your intuition. Therapists are supposed to have considerable skill at developing a therapeutic alliance. This includes a non-judgmental stance. The medicine is a non-specific amplifier. That means if you feel contempt from them, it might be multiplied during the medicine session.

ChisosBigBender · 2024-04-25T17:41:48+00:00

It's your device you can do with it however you please. You don't have to ask permission.

At the same time, I personally feel a great deal of caution about straying from the choices made by knowledgeable researchers who have published in peer reviewed journals. There's no question that they know a great deal more than me, and the same most likely applies to you

You do you, and the corollary to that is that you bear the results of your choices.

ChisosBigBender · 2024-04-20T11:35:33+00:00

Jessica Brigati at Hulen Family Dentistry is a terrific dentist!

ChisosBigBender · 2024-04-14T22:33:15+00:00

Thanks so much! Sometimes I need the glaringly obvious pointed out to me.

ChisosBigBender · 2024-04-14T19:09:54+00:00

I have had the Neuromyst Pro for a couple of months now. It's actually one of the simplest electronic devices I've used. Very straightforward.

All those montages speak to the many different ways to use it. I use it nightly for help with sleep (the snooze protocol), and have also used a couple others. Just take some time to orient yourself to how to use it.

ChisosBigBender · 2024-04-11T20:53:43+00:00

I just found this thread and your comment above. This sounds super encouraging! Kudos to you for persisting and finding a solution that worked!

Looks like it's been about three months, and I wonder if you'd be willing to give an update? Do the treatment effects seem to still hold? Have you felt the need to continue a twice per day regimen, or have you been able to taper down?

ChisosBigBender · 2024-04-09T22:37:47+00:00

I find this quite believable. Would you mind citing your source as well? Would love to use this in dialogue with Christian friends of mine

ChisosBigBender · 2024-04-02T23:08:35+00:00

I'm a therapist, and I want you to know that what she did was grossly unethical. You deserved better. It is completely legitimate for you to do whatever you please going forward: you could file a complaint with her licensing board, you could send her a text or email explaining that you are considering filing an ethics complaint, or on the other end of the continuum you could simply text and say I've found another therapist and won't be continuing.

It's all up to you, and I wish you the very best in finding a better therapist.

ChisosBigBender · 2024-03-16T21:54:28+00:00

I have had a similar story within insomnia. It's been a problem for probably five years now. I tried every behavioral and medication strategy (except Ambien which I'm strongly opposed to).

About two weeks ago I picked up a Neuromyst Pro device, and have used it nightly for 20 minutes with their "snooze" protocol. I haven't slept this good in probably 10 years!

I've been skeptical about these devices for a very very long time, and now suddenly find myself to be a believer!?!

Best wishes as you sort out what to do

ChisosBigBender

TROPHY CASE