Knowthyself

Hi all,

Apologies if this is the wrong place to post this. I thought it may be a good idea to ask this question to gain some insight from those who may have direct experience of moving to Italy (specifically Rome).

Are job prospects promising for a qualified social worker (partner) and psychotherapist (myself)? I know the language barrier would present an obvious issue but I was curious as to whether or not it would be possible to access a healthy number of clients drawing from just the expat community, at least initially.

My partner and I have only discussed this tentatively thus far but any advice would be much appreciated.

modicasa

If you are from a non EU country - (including UK) you will have to have equivalent qualifications which can be certified in Rome allowing you to work here in your field. Im afraid your qualifications if youre from the UK are no longer valid in Italy post Brexit. Any clinical/social work can only be done with the right certfication and licence to practise.

scrubbedexpat077

Correct, see https://www.miur.gov.it/web/guest/ri...-studio-esteri

Actually, it's up to the Uni to determine if they accept your foreign title or not. So, you'll have to ask around, plus possibly pay some hefty admin charges.
This was never the case even before Brexit. Intra-EU higher education diplomas and/or degrees were never automatically convertible into another EU country qualifications.

In any case, the language barrier is a problem, because the OP will have to go through bureaucratic hurdles before being able to practice psychotherapy legally, See https://www.unibo.it/it/didattica/es...go-sezione-a-1
MIUR - Universit�, Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica, Alta Formazione Artistica e Musicale

philat98

I suspect dog sitting would have plenty of opportunities. In my village many new dogs have appeared in the last year. When people have to return to their offices there will be a big demand for pet carers. Relying on the expat community of Rome might be pushing things a bit.

C.2s

The points people have made about changes and uncertainty due to Brexit and the pandemic are valid, but if I were you I wouldn't give up.

Apologies if I'm stating the obvious but I'd start by doing a quick google search for English speaking therapists in Italy. I found websites that specialise in therapy for expats. Why not contact one of them and have a chat? Might be that they're looking for new people to join their network or maybe they'll just be happy to talk about their experiences.

I'd also consider thinking about alternatives if you're serious about moving abroad. And not just dog-sitting or teaching English! ;-) Could you do something more along the motivational life coaching or art related where maybe the regulations would be more relaxed. What about a sort of spiritual retreat catering to foreign visitors? Will tourism needs be different in the future and is there a niche you can exploit? Could it be an opportunity to change other aspects of your work/life balance?

Lastly, do your clients have to be in Italy - or could they be online?