Do you keep landing in the same painful relationship patterns, or feel like you don't quite belong, even when life looks fine from the outside?
I'm Vanessa, a psychologist and certified schema therapist offering therapy in English and Spanish for adults. I work online worldwide and in person in Hong Kong. I specialise in the things that are hardest to explain to the people around you: attachment and relationship patterns, grief and loss, and the identity shake-up of living between cultures.
My approach is warm, structured, science-based and practical. Schema Therapy is my foundation, combined with CBT, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and attachment-focused work. Together we map the patterns behind what you're feeling, understand where they come from, and practise new ways of responding, so the change shows up in your everyday life and not only in our sessions.
People usually come to me when they:
keep repeating unfulfilling relationships, or struggle to trust that someone will stay
are grieving a loss, or feel stuck in grief
feel lonely, "not enough" or out of place as an expat
are carrying the emotional weight of chronic pain, illness or a medical diagnosis
I also work with men facing relationship, identity and emotional-regulation challenges. Learn more about my Men Focused therapy here
I hold an MSc in Health Psychology, I'm a registered full member of the International Society of Schema Therapy and the British Psychological Society. Not sure if we're a fit? Book a free 30-minute introductory session.
Hi, I’m vanessa bandini. Certified Schema therapist and health psychologist
Areas of Expertise
Expat and relocation issues: loneliness, identity, low sense of belonging, homesickness, sense of “not being good enough”, “not fitting in”
Men Focused Therapy: overworking, overthinking, sadness, emotional withdrawal, anger, masculinity, identity, purpose, relationships and communication, loneliness, work, career and performance, dating and attachment issues
Schema therapy: trauma, difficult childhood, victim of narcissistic parents/partners/bosses, low self-work, self-sacrifice, harsh demands towards oneself, fear of loss
Grief therapy: Coping with the overwhelming sadness, shock and the emotional waves after the death of a loved one
Attachment issues: not trusting that relationships will last, needing constant reassurance, struggles with closeness
Health psychology: living with chronic pain, illnesses or fatigue
Registered full member of the International Society of Schema Therapy #94933275
Registered psychologist and Full Member at the British psychological society GMBPSS3111628 Full membership MSc FMBPsS
Associate Member of the Psychotherapy Society of Hong Kong
Specialisation in Male psychology approved by the Australian Psychological Society
I provide therapy in english and spanish
attachment therapy
Repeated patterns of unfulfilling relationships
Difficulty to trust partners will stay. Fear of abandonment
Low self-worth in relationships
Needing constant reassurance or simply numbing yourself not to feel emotional pain
Repeating unhealthy relationship patterns, attracting the same type of partners
Difficulties to end relationships even though you realise that you are not happy
Healing from past betrayals, emotional injuries
Struggling with closeness, intimacy, commitment
Re-playing old wounds in relationships
Hyper-independence or relying only on yourself
Feeling torn between wanting connection and wanting space
Attachment wounds showing up in parenting, friendships, at work, etc.
individual therapy
Anxiety and constant worrying
Depression, sadness, low mood
Loss of interest in activities, old hobbies, socialising
Irritability, frustration, restlessness, “short fuse”
Repeated patterns of unfulfilling relationships
Healing from childhood emotional neglect
Healing from emotionally immature parents
Healing from a difficult socio-economic or religious background
Expats’ cross-cultural adjustment issues
Unrelenting standards, perfectionism, self-criticism
Life/relationship/job dissatisfaction
Struggles setting boundaries
Cultivating resilience and finding a sense of purpose
health psychology
Managing stress related to health issues
Recovering from chronic overload, mental fatigue, reduced focus, decision making fatigue and emotional depletion
Living with pain or fatigue. Psychological tools and skills to navigate them
Coping with medical diagnoses mitigating shock, fear, uncertainty, anger and more
Addressing insomnia
Lifestyle change. Acquiring healthier habits and self-care routines
Coping strategies to deal with the emotional impact of upcoming surgeries and medical procedures (mammography, biopsies, magnetic resonance imaging, plastic surgeryetc.)
Processing emotions triggered by surgical complications
Therapy focused on the aftermath of a traumatic surgery or delivery
Skills building and anxiety management related to pregnancy, delivery and general anaesthesia
Processing fear of death
Coping strategies to deal with anticipatory distress and avoidance when you have medical procedures scheduled
Grief therapy
Coping with the overwhelming sadness, shock and the emotional waves after the death of a loved one
Sudden or traumatic loss that feels confusing, abrupt or too intense
Anticipatory grief
Being in a care-taking role of a loved one facing a long-term illness
Identity changes after loss
Complicated or prologued grief. Feeling stuck, heavy, endless pain
Feelings of guilt or regret related to a loss
Loss and trauma intertwined
Miscarriage, stillbirth or fertility loss
Navigating anniversaries and triggers
Rebuilding life after loss
Grief after relocation. Mourning old identities, familiar life left behind
Loss of a pet or companion animal
men focused therapy
Depression and emotional withdrawal
Anxiety, stress and overthinking
Work, career and performance
Relationships and communication
Divorce, separation and major life transitions
Anger and emotional regulation
Regulation, identity and purpose
Fatherhood and family issues
Loneliness, dating and involuntary celibacy
Trauma and difficult life experiences
Alcohol, substances and unhelpful coping
My fees
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Free introductory session
You are very welcome to book a free ONLINE introductory session (30 minutes) with me. In this session you will have space to describe what brings you to therapy and ask questions. I will explain my therapeutic approach and give you some insights. This is a gentle starting point to make sure you feel comfortable, informed and supported.
To book a Free Introductory session (30 min) please email me to Vanessabandini@googlemail.com
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Individual session
1,200 SEK / 110 EUR
Each session is a focused, empathic, and highly attuned-to-your-needs space designed for real and lasting change. We work collaboratively to understand the patterns that shape your emotions, relationships, and choices—using validated tests, clear formulation, and evidence-based Schema Therapy tools.
Sessions are active and tailored to you. We use practical materials, experiential exercises, imagery, and structured techniques to help you not only understand your patterns, but transform them—at a pace that feels safe and respectful.
Clients often describe the work as deep, contained, and surprisingly clarifying. This is therapy that combines emotional depth with clinical precision.
If you’re looking for therapy that is compassionate, structured, effective, and state-of-the-art this is a good place to start.
you are most Welcome to my practice!
I see clients online on Zoom from 6.00 - 14.00 CET (Sweden, Spain, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, France, Switzerland, etc)
I see clients in person in Hong Kong Central
I see clients in person in Stockholm June-August
Exclusive and sought after “Before going to work” time slots for the same price!!
6.00 am, 7.00 am and 8.00 am (CET)
“I consider it a privilege to witness people at their most vulnerable and seeing them confront old patterns, and step into the lives they truly want.”
My path
From an early age, I found myself drawn to people’s stories—their quiet resilience, their unspoken wounds, and the spark of life that persists even in the darkest moments.
My path to becoming a psychologist began not in textbooks, but in lived experience. In my early twenties, I spent several years volunteering in underserved communities, witnessing how emotional wounds affect physical health, relationships, and self-worth. These experiences shaped my understanding of how deeply our histories, environments, and unmet needs impact our well-being.
Later, while working in medical settings, I became acutely aware of how often psychological suffering goes unnoticed, especially in those who appear to “function” on the outside. This led me to pursue advanced studies in Health Psychology and then to specialise in Schema Therapy—a powerful evidence-based approach that helps clients uncover and transform the deep emotional patterns that keep them stuck.
Along the way, I’ve also walked my own therapeutic path. Years of personal therapy, therapeutic retreats, and meaningful conversations with mentors have helped me cultivate the presence, clarity, and emotional depth that I now bring to my clinical work. These experiences didn’t just educate me—they transformed me.
Today, as a psychotherapist and lecturer, I remain committed to learning, growing, and offering therapy that is not only evidence-based but deeply human.
I create a warm and structured space where people feel genuinely seen, supported, and challenged to create meaningful change.
Looking forward to meeting you!
credentials
BSc (Honours) Psychology [First class]. The Open University, UK.
MSc Health psychology. University of Derby, UK
Schema therapist certification. International Society for Schema Therapy (ISST) approved schema therapy training
Grief counselling. American Institute for Health Care Professionals
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Certification
Somatic Therapy for Attachment Trauma (CSFTP) Certification
Male psychology specialisation. Men in Mind - Movember Institute. Australian Psychological Society.
testimonials