How can Turkish people in the Netherlands and Belgium access psychological support? Read about common difficulties, barriers to seeking help and next steps.
The Netherlands and Belgium are two countries with a long history of migration from Turkey. From the generation that arrived as workers in the 1960s, to young people born and raised in these countries, to new migrants who have moved in recent years for study or work, Turkish people in the Netherlands and Turkish people living in Belgium make up a broad and varied community. These communities have strong family ties, associations and networks of solidarity. Even so, when emotional difficulties arise, many people don't know where to start, or they put off seeking support in the face of the question, "Who will I tell my troubles to, and in which language?" In this article I try to describe the psychological difficulties that Turkish people in the Netherlands and Belgium commonly face, the barriers to seeking help, and the concrete steps that can be taken to get psychological support. What I offer here is a general framework; every family and every individual has a different story.
Turkish People in the Netherlands and the Turkish Community in Belgium: Similarities and Differences
The Turkish communities in the two countries share a similar migration history. The first generation came mostly to work in factories, mines and the service sector; over time families were reunited, children started school and the communities became permanent. However, each country has its own particular context.
In the Netherlands, the Turkish community is concentrated in big cities and industrial areas. Second- and third-generation young people speak Dutch as a mother tongue while trying to keep up Turkish at home. The Netherlands' culture of direct communication, with its emphasis on candour and individualism, can at times clash with Turkish families' indirect communication and family-centred values.
In Belgium, the situation is somewhat more complicated when it comes to language. Different languages are spoken in different regions of the country, so Turkish families live their lives in Flemish (Dutch) or French depending on where they live. For some families, everyday life may be trilingual, moving between Turkish, the language of school and another national language. This multilingualism is a richness, but it can also be an additional burden, especially for children and older people.
In both countries, new migrants who have arrived in recent years may have a different experience from the long-established Turkish community. This educated, career-oriented group may struggle with learning the language, getting qualifications recognised, finding housing and loneliness.
Common Difficulties Among Turkish People in the Netherlands and Belgium
The themes below do not apply to everyone, but they are experiences that many people may find familiar:
- Identity and belonging: The feeling of "Am I Dutch or Turkish?" or "a foreigner in Belgium, a gurbetçi (a Turk living abroad) in Turkey"
- Intergenerational conflict: The tension between parents' traditional expectations and young people's need for autonomy
- Marriage and family pressure: Choice of partner, timing of marriage, roles within the family and anxiety about "what will people say" (el âlem ne der)
- Loneliness: Especially among older people who have lost a spouse, spouses who came through marriage, and new migrants
- Anxiety and depression: These may be linked to long-term stress, losses and uncertainty
- Physical complaints: Emotional strain expressed through symptoms such as pain, fatigue and sleeplessness
- Experiences of discrimination: The effect on self-confidence of exclusion experienced at work, in education or in everyday life
- Parenting worries: The effort to find what is "right" while raising children between two cultures
These difficulties on their own do not amount to a diagnosis. But when they last a long time and clearly affect life, professional support can be considered. For a more general framework on the subject, you can also look at the article on culture shock.
Barriers to Seeking Psychological Support
In both the Netherlands and Belgium, mental health services are provided as part of the health system. However, many Turkish people may run into certain barriers when trying to reach these services.
Stigma and concerns about privacy
In communities where people know each other and meet often, it is common to fear that the news "She's seeing a psychologist" will spread. Seeing mental health problems as weakness or a lack of faith can make seeking help even harder. Yet getting emotional support is a way of taking care of yourself and your family.
Language and emotional expression
Even for someone who uses Dutch, Flemish or French comfortably at school and at work, talking about emotional matters in a second language can feel different. For the first generation and for spouses who came through marriage, the language barrier is more pronounced. Being able to express your own feelings in your mother tongue can make the therapeutic process easier for some people. I cover this in more detail in the article on why therapy in your mother tongue matters.
Understanding the cultural context
Having to explain things such as family hierarchy, respect for parents, the relationship with a mother-in-law, religious holidays, hospitality and the concept of "ayıp" (what is considered shameful or improper) can be tiring for some clients. There are practitioners with cross-cultural experience in both countries; even so, some people may find it more comforting to talk to someone who shares their cultural frame of reference.
Uncertainty about the system
There can be uncertainty about how to apply for mental health services, how referrals work and what insurance covers. For the most up-to-date and accurate information on these matters, it is advisable to ask your GP and your health insurer.
The shadow of experiences of discrimination
Someone who has experienced discrimination may approach health or counselling services too with the expectation, "I will be misunderstood here as well." Even though this does not apply to every practitioner, this expectation can delay seeking help. If you have such a worry, saying so openly in the first session can help the practitioner understand you better. The effects of discrimination on mental health are real; but rather than generalising this to a whole society, it can be more constructive to put your own experience and needs at the centre.
Say a young second-generation man living in Rotterdam, after receiving one negative response after another to job applications, started to feel worthless and stopped leaving the house. While his family said, "Try a bit harder, it will work out", he felt that what he was going through was not only about failing to find a job but had opened a deep wound around belonging. Experiences like these, if they are not talked about, can turn into low mood and anger over time.
The "let's sort it out within the family first" attitude
In Turkish families, talking about problems within the family can be a strong source of support. Sometimes, however, this attitude can mean that outside help is not sought until the problem has deepened.
The Impact on Families, Couples and Young People
Young people: Young people who grow up with one culture at school and another at home often try to be a bridge between two worlds. Responsibilities such as interpreting for their parents and reading official letters can be placed on them at an early age. This can support maturity, but it can also become a burden. Questions of identity and peer relationships take on particular importance in adolescence; during this period adolescent counselling can be a supportive option.
Couples: Spouses who come from Turkey through marriage meet a new language, a new country and a new family all at once. If their social circle remains limited to the partner's family, this can lead to feelings of dependence and loneliness. Differences in expectations between the partner who was born and raised here and the partner who came from Turkey can also create tension in the relationship.
Older people: For the first generation reaching retirement age, the question "Should I live in Turkey or here?", health problems and the loss of a spouse are important issues. With children and grandchildren here, returning to Turkey is hard, while staying can sometimes be isolating. Many older people try to strike a balance between the two countries by spending part of the year in Turkey and part here. This coming and going can itself be tiring and can lead to feeling "half" in both places.
Concrete Steps for Turkish People Living in the Netherlands and Belgium
Start with your GP. In both the Netherlands and Belgium, the GP is often the first point of contact for mental health problems. Describe what you are going through openly; also mention that your physical complaints may have an emotional side.
Ask about the terms of your insurance. Find out directly from your health insurer under what conditions psychological support services are covered. Because conditions can change over time, it is important to get up-to-date information.
Go to the appointment prepared. Write down your symptoms, how long they have lasted and how they affect your life in Turkish, and translate them into the language of the country you live in if necessary. Don't hesitate to ask whether interpreter support is possible.
Explore community resources. Turkish associations, women's groups, youth centres and mosques in your city can be valuable for social support and information. You can also look into the advice services for migrants offered by your local municipality.
Make mental health something that can be talked about in the family. Sharing your own experience can reduce stigma within the family. The sentence "I'm struggling too, and I'm thinking of getting support" can give others courage as well.
Give young people a voice. Let your child draw on both cultures. Listening to them is one of the most effective ways of passing on your values.
Don't leave your older relatives alone. Supporting the social life of relatives from the first generation, going with them to health checks and listening to them can help prevent loneliness and low mood.
Build a protective routine for yourself. Regular sleep, exercise, spending time outdoors and meeting people you trust can support your mood, especially on short, rainy winter days.
Whichever language you speak, asking for help is an investment in the life you have built abroad and in the people you love.
When Should You Seek Professional Support?
It may be helpful to speak with a mental health professional in the following situations:
- Unhappiness, lack of motivation or hopelessness lasting more than two weeks
- Intense anxiety, panic-attack-like symptoms or a constant state of being on edge
- Marked changes in sleep, appetite and energy
- Constant conflict in family, marital or intergenerational relationships
- Marked changes in your child's or young person's adjustment to school or behaviour
- Trying to cope with alcohol or other substances
- The long-term effects of loss, trauma or experiences of discrimination
Where medication may be needed, an assessment by a psychiatrist is required.
Emergencies: If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or someone else, call the emergency number without waiting. The general emergency number in the Netherlands and Belgium is 112. Online therapy is not an emergency response service; in situations of serious risk, local emergency services and local psychiatric services are needed.
How Does Online Therapy in Your Mother Tongue Work?
For Turkish people in the Netherlands and Belgium, different options can be used side by side when seeking psychological support. Some work with a therapist in the country where they live, some prefer a Turkish-speaking practitioner and some use both. Online therapy in Turkish may suit some people for reasons such as being able to speak in their mother tongue, not having to explain the cultural context at length, and being able to attend sessions from home.
In work based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), the following steps can be followed:
- Assessment: The migration story, family structure, language use, current difficulties and strengths are looked at together.
- Setting goals: Concrete and achievable goals are set according to the person's priorities.
- Thought and behaviour patterns: The cycles that maintain anxiety, low mood or conflict in relationships are noticed and worked on.
- Fit with cultural values: Solutions are sought that respect family ties but also take the person's own needs into account.
- Skills work: Emotion regulation, communication and boundary-setting skills are developed.
The time difference between the Netherlands and Belgium and Turkey is usually one or two hours, which makes scheduling sessions easier. A quiet room, headphones and a secure internet connection are enough. Payment can be made online; it is advisable to check with your own insurer whether sessions with a practitioner abroad are covered. For details, you can look at the page for Turks living abroad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find a Turkish-speaking psychologist in the Netherlands or Belgium?
This can vary depending on the city you live in and waiting times. Your GP, your insurer and local advice services can help with referrals. Online therapy in Turkish is another option you can consider.
My child speaks Dutch more comfortably. Which language should be used in therapy?
In therapy with children and young people, the language in which they express themselves most comfortably is important. Some young people can talk about their feelings more easily in the language of the country they live in; in sessions that include the family, Turkish may be more suitable. It is best to make this decision together with the young person.
Is my child growing up trilingual in Belgium struggling?
Growing up multilingual is a richness for most children; however, at certain times language mixing or difficulty at school can occur. If you have concerns about language development or adjustment to school, it can help to speak with their teachers and, if needed, a specialist.
Will the insurance in my country cover online therapy in Turkish?
It is not possible to give a definite answer on this; conditions differ by country, insurer and policy. I recommend getting the most accurate information directly from your own health insurer.
Bu yazı genel bilgilendirme amaçlıdır; tanı veya tedavi yerine geçmez. Yaşadığınız güçlükler için bir ruh sağlığı uzmanına başvurmanız önerilir. Acil bir durumda lütfen 112'yi arayın.
Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
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