Six years after founding relocation company Move to Florence, Danielle Leite has now expanded her work to include expat and intercultural counselling. We spoke about what prompted the change, what counselling actually is and why settling into a new country is about far more than paperwork.
Move to Florence has become a familiar name for expats arriving in Florence. Now you’ve added counselling to your work. What inspired this step?
When I founded Move to Florence in 2020, the aim was to make relocating to Italy less overwhelming. We help people with everything from finding a home and navigating visas to dealing with Italian bureaucracy. Over the years, though, I kept noticing the same pattern. Clients would arrive and I would help them tick every practical box—the apartment, the paperwork, the school—and yet many were quietly struggling. The emotional side of moving abroad is so often the part nobody talks about. People would tell me they felt lonely, anxious or unsure whether they had made the right decision. Everyone around them thought they were living their best life, but that wasn’t always how they felt. This is what led me to train as a counsellor specializing in expat and intercultural counselling.
So, Move to Florence isn’t changing direction?
Not at all. Move to Florence continues exactly as it always has. I have a wonderful team in place, and we’re still helping people relocate every day. Counselling is something I’ve added alongside the business because I see them as complementary. One helps people get here and get settled; the other helps them navigate how it actually feels once they are. At the moment, I’m the only one in Move to Florence who is also a counsellor. My years of experience and all my knowledge are being used in the most rewarding career experience I’ve ever had. Yes, practical help is important—vital—but it’s a real privilege to be allowed into my clients’ inner world. It’s a gift and I’m very grateful for it.
Many people aren’t entirely sure what counselling is. How would you explain it?
That’s something I really want people to understand because counselling is often misunderstood. Counselling is a structured, goal-oriented process. Together we identify what someone wants to work on and we work towards that objective together. My approach is person-centred, meaning the client leads the conversation. I provide a confidential space where people can explore what’s happening without judgement. Sessions are held online once a week, typically over 12 weeks, making them accessible wherever someone is in the world. Counselling isn’t psychotherapy and I don’t diagnose or treat mental health conditions. If I felt someone needed psychological or psychiatric support, it would be my duty of care to refer them to the appropriate professional.
Why do you think so many expats struggle emotionally after moving abroad?
Because moving countries changes almost everything at once. You’re learning a new language, trying to understand different social rules, rebuilding friendships and navigating unfamiliar systems. Even everyday tasks can suddenly become exhausting. Many people also arrive expecting the dream they’ve seen on social media. Then reality sets in. You might wonder why people are staring at you, why interactions feel abrupt or why simple things take so much effort. Over time, those experiences can chip away at your confidence. The truth is, most people experience some version of culture shock. They just don’t always talk about it.
Your own experience of living abroad clearly shapes your work.
It really does. I left Brazil when I was 14. It wasn’t my decision. I arrived in the UK without speaking the language or understanding the culture, and I felt incredibly alone. Everyone kept telling me how lucky I was. I didn’t feel lucky, I felt lost. That first move was difficult, but it became the beginning of a life lived across borders. I spent 16 years in the UK, seven and a half in Paris, and I’ve now lived in Florence for over a decade. Some of those moves I chose, others I didn’t, but every one of them meant starting again. Later, I also experienced divorce while living abroad. Going through something like that without your own family or support network nearby brings its own challenges. You’re not only dealing with the emotional impact; you’re often untangling a life built in someone else’s country. I know this experience from the inside, personally and professionally. That’s ultimately why I trained as a counsellor.
How has your own experience helped you adapt?
When I arrived in Italy, I was shocked to see how hard achieving even the simplest of tasks was. I wanted Italy to change and I had a hard time accepting it. Signing up to the gym became unexpectedly important. It gave me somewhere to observe everyday Italian life. Watching how people interacted helped me understand the culture in a different way. Eventually, I stopped expecting Italy to work like the countries I’d lived in before and started accepting that it was simply different. Not better, not worse, just different. That shift changed everything.
Who do you hope will benefit most from this new service?
Anyone who has moved across cultures and feels they are finding it harder than they expected. Maybe they’ve recently arrived in Florence and don’t feel as happy as they imagined. Maybe they’re struggling with loneliness, identity or cultural adjustment. Or perhaps they’re going through another major life transition while living abroad. Moving countries is one of life’s biggest changes. Sometimes what makes the greatest difference isn’t another checklist; it’s having someone who genuinely understands what you’re going through.
If any of this resonates, the first step is simply a free 15-minute consultation. It’s an opportunity to meet, talk about what’s bringing you to counselling and see whether we’re the right fit.
Danielle Leite is fully qualified and registered with AssoCounseling, Italy’s professional counselling association (REG-A3618-2026). She provides expat/international counselling in English, Portuguese, French and Italian consisting of 50-minute sessions, once weekly, typically as part of a 12-session programme.
