Therapy for Chilean Immigrants | Homesickness Support

That Hollow Feeling When You're Building a New Life

You made the leap. You're here. And somehow, being exactly where you planned to be doesn't stop you from missing home in a way that catches you off guard. It hits when you're waiting for the bus. It hits when someone asks where you're from and you can't decide which answer to give. The new job, the new apartment, the new friendships—they're real and they matter, but they don't fill the specific space that Chile left behind.

Homesickness isn't just sadness. It's a physical thing. It's the exhaustion that comes from constantly translating—not just language, but the whole way you understand the world. It's the guilt of thriving without your family there. It's the fear that if you settle in too deeply, you're betraying where you came from. And it's the loneliness of being surrounded by people who don't quite get what you lost when you left.

I love my life here, but I'm not sure I know how to be happy without feeling like I'm abandoning everyone back home. That split is killing me.

The conflicting feelings don't make you weak. They make you human. You can want this new life and miss the old one. You can be grateful and grieving at the same time. But living inside that contradiction without help is a weight no one should carry alone, and it's one that often grows heavier the longer you stay silent about it.

Why This Hits Differently—And Why Talking About It Changes Things

Immigration is sold as an opportunity, a fresh start, a chance. And it can be all those things. But the emotional toll is real and often invisible. You're navigating a new country, a new culture, maybe a new language—while simultaneously processing grief for what you've left behind. Your brain is running in two places at once. The exhaustion compounds. The homesickness deepens. And if you don't have space to process it, it can bleed into every part of your new life, making joy feel complicated and rest feel impossible.

Therapy gives you that space. Not to convince you that you shouldn't miss home, or that you should just get over it, but to help you hold both truths at once: that you belong here and that you belong there. A therapist who understands what immigration means—the cultural weight, the family expectations, the guilt, the identity questions—can help you build a life that honors both who you were and who you're becoming. That's not about forgetting Chile. It's about actually living, instead of just surviving.

What helps

Working with a therapist who understands immigrant grief helps you process homesickness without dismissing it or letting it define your entire experience. Therapy can help you reconnect with why you came, grieve what you've left, and build a meaningful life that includes both your past and your present.

What actually helps — and how to access it

BetterHelp has over 30,000 licensed therapists available by text, phone, or video. No commute. No waiting list. A session from your home, your car, or your lunch break — whenever works for you.

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You're not the only one who felt this way

I came to the States alone three years ago, and I was fine—until I wasn't. One day I called my mom and couldn't stop crying about how I'd never have asados like hers again. I felt crazy for mourning something so small when I was supposed to be celebrating my career. My therapist helped me understand that I wasn't sad about the food; I was sad about time, about distance, about becoming a different person than I would've been if I'd stayed. Now I cook with her over video calls, I've built real friendships here, and the guilt has loosened its grip. I'm not choosing between two lives anymore—I'm living one fuller life.

Diego, 32

Started therapy two years ago after relocation

Questions people ask before starting

Will therapy just tell me I need to 'move on' and stop missing home?

No. A good therapist won't minimize what you've lost or push you toward forgetting. Instead, they'll help you process the grief of leaving while building a real life where you are now. Both things are possible.

I'm worried therapy is too expensive for me right now.

Online therapy through BetterHelp starts at around $100-200 per week, and we're offering 20% off your first month. Many people find it more affordable than in-person therapy, and you can do it from home.

What if my therapist doesn't understand what it's like to be Chilean or to immigrate?

You can request a therapist with experience working with immigrants, and you can always switch to someone different if the fit isn't right. You get to choose who you talk to—that's one of the benefits of online therapy.

Will talking about homesickness in therapy actually make it better, or just make me sadder?

Processing grief is different from ruminating on it. A therapist helps you move through the feelings instead of getting stuck in them, so you can function better and experience joy without the guilt attached.

What if I start therapy and realize I don't like my therapist?

You can switch to a different therapist anytime, at no penalty. Finding the right fit matters, and the platform makes it easy to change if the connection isn't there.

If you are in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 immediately — the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day in English and Spanish. BetterHelp is not a crisis service.

The first step is the hardest one

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