Online Psychiatrist for Greeks Abroad
If you live abroad and want to talk to a psychiatrist in your mother tongue, we can work by video call for assessment, psychotherapy and follow-up.
Short answer
If you live abroad and want to speak to a psychiatrist in your mother tongue, we can work by video call for assessment, psychotherapy and follow-up. The electronic prescriptions I issue are Greek: they are dispensed in Greek pharmacies and, for people insured with an AMKA, in a few EU countries through MyHealth@EU, with exceptions. For prescriptions and emergencies in your country of residence you also need a local doctor.
Why language matters
In psychiatry, the main tool is conversation. It is hard to describe in a second language a difficult relationship with your mother, a feeling of shame or a fear you have never told anyone. Video assessments have been studied extensively: in a review of 452 studies, telepsychiatry was found comparable to in-person care in the reliability of assessment and in treatment outcomes.
What we can work on online
Adult ADHD: assessment and follow-up
Stress and burnout, difficulties adjusting to a new country
Long-term follow-up, for example when you were already being followed in Greece and moved
When an online session is not enough
In an emergency or a safety risk. Help is then needed where you are (see below).
When a physical examination or laboratory tests are needed.
When medication must be given regularly in your country of residence and the Greek prescription is not dispensed there.
Prescriptions: what applies
A Greek electronic prescription is dispensed in pharmacies in Greece. If you come often or have someone here to collect it, that is one way.
MyHealth@EU: people insured with an AMKA can have a Greek electronic prescription dispensed at participating pharmacies in certain countries, showing their AMKA and ID card or passport. The official Greek page lists Spain, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Czechia. Cypriot media reported the first dispensing of a Greek prescription in Cyprus as well. The list changes, so check it before you travel.
Exceptions: narcotic medicines are not dispensed with a cross-border electronic prescription, and some countries also restrict psychotropic medicines. This often affects medicines for ADHD, anxiety or sleep.
Directive 2011/24/EU: in the EU there is a general obligation to recognise prescriptions from another member state, but the pharmacist can refuse in certain cases and countries can exclude medicines that require special prescribing.
Outside the EU (United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia, Switzerland): the Greek prescription is not automatically valid. We have not checked the rules for every country. For ADHD in Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland, see the article ADHD care in Greek for Greeks abroad.
Usually the most practical option: a written report in English for the doctor in your country of residence, so they can continue prescribing if they judge it right.
Hours: when we talk in your time
The practice is open Monday–Thursday 08:15–13:00 and 17:15–20:00, Friday 08:00–15:00, Greek time. As a guide, in winter time, the evening appointments (17:15–20:00 Greek time) are:
London (−2 hours): 15:15–18:00
Berlin, Brussels, Amsterdam, Zurich (−1 hour): 16:15–19:00
New York, Toronto (−7 hours): 10:15–13:00
Melbourne (+9 hours, Australian summer time): the morning 08:15 Greek time is 17:15 in Melbourne
The differences change when countries change their clocks on different dates. When booking, write your country and your local time.
How the first appointment works
You book and pay online. The first appointment lasts 45 minutes and follow-ups 30 minutes, €130 each.
Connect from a quiet, private place, with a good connection and headphones.
Have with you any previous reports and a list of what you take, in whatever language they are.
The assessment follows the same order as in the practice: history, a structured interview where needed (for ADHD, the DIVA-5) and a check for other conditions that may coexist, including substance and caffeine use.
Emergencies from abroad
An online session is not an emergency service. If you are at risk or thinking of harming yourself, call the local number: 112 in the EU, 999 or 112 in the United Kingdom, 911 in the USA and Canada, 000 in Australia.
Licence and framework
I work with a medical practice licence in Greece. In the EU, Directive 2011/24/EU states that in telemedicine, care is considered to be provided in the member state where the doctor is established. Outside the EU the rules differ by country. Coverage by your country’s insurance is not guaranteed; ask your insurer.
Sources
Hubley S, Lynch SB, Schneck C, Thomas M, Shore J. Review of key telepsychiatry outcomes. World J Psychiatry. 2016;6(2):269-282. https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v6.i2.269
Greek Electronic Health Record, cross-border health services (MyHealth@EU). https://ehealthrecord.gov.gr/en/announcements/periagogi-ypir-ygeias
Lithuanian e-health portal, exceptions to cross-border e-prescriptions. https://www.esveikata.lt/en/en/cross-border-e-prescription
Politis (Cyprus), first Greek e-prescription dispensed in a Cypriot pharmacy. https://en.politis.com.cy/news/health/1004659/first-greek-e-prescription-dispensed-in-cyprus-pharmacy
Directive 2011/24/EU, articles 3 and 11. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2011/24/2025-01-12
At a glance
- First appointment: 45 minutes, 130 €
- Follow-up sessions: 30 minutes, 130 €
- Language: English or Greek
- Where: online by video call (Google Meet, WhatsApp or Viber); for patients outside Greece, subject to applicable professional, legal and clinical requirements
- Payment: electronically
- Hours (Greek time): Monday–Thursday 08:15–13:00 and 17:15–20:00, Friday 08:00–15:00
