

Your Journey, Your Pace
Psychological Support for Expats, Internationals, and LGBTQ+ Folks
Debora Di Scala
I am an Italian psychologist based in Rotterdam, born and raised on an island in southern Italy. Over the past decade, I have lived in many places and worn many hats, as a student, an expat, a newcomer navigating identity change. These experiences shaped not only how I live, but how I work. I understand the messiness of transitions, the ache of homesickness, and the joy and confusion of reinventing yourself in a new environment.
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I completed my Master of Science in Clinical Psychology in the Netherlands and have trained in CBT for anxiety disorders, Schema Therapy, and somatic body work. Started as a student, today I am a proud member of the Network of Human Rights and Psychology with the Netherlands Institute of Psychologists (NIP). This is why I am deeply committed to creating safer, affirming spaces for those whose voices are often unheard, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community, international students, and those exploring who they are. As a queer affirmative therapist, I believe therapy should be a space where all parts of you are welcome: your culture, your story, your body, and your truth. ​ ​
I have supported people dealing with trauma, anxiety, ADHD, mood difficulties, sexual abuse, and identity-related struggles. My therapy style is collaborative, integrative, and down-to-earth. I am here to listen, support, challenge when needed, and walk alongside you, not ahead of you. Together, we will find a way of working that feels natural and meaningful to you, whether that includes talking, silence, drawing, or dancing.


Why Calming Shores
I grew up on an island, where the sea was always nearby, quietly present in the background, sometimes wild, sometimes still. It was where I went to think, to feel, to just be. I did not realize how much it meant to me until I moved away.
Even now, just picturing the shore, the sound of waves, the salty air, the feeling of sand under my feet, helps me slow down and come back to myself. It is a place I carry inside me, a kind of inner anchor.
That's the feeling I want to create with Calming Shores: a space where you can take a breath, drop the mask, and show up as you are. Therapy with me isn't about fixing you, it's about making space for your experiences, reconnecting with what matters, and finding your own rhythm again. ​​​
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If something in this page reasonated with you, feel free to reach out. ​



