Online Psychologists in Bolivia: Online Therapy from Santa Cruz

Online psychotherapy is just as effective as in-person therapy. We use secure platforms (Zoom, Google Meet or WhatsApp) to connect with you, with the same clinical rigor.

How does online CBT work?

We adapt Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to the online setting. We work with digital whiteboards and practical real-time exercises, ideal for anxiety and stress, wherever you are.

Advantages of online therapy:

• No time lost in traffic
• Total comfort and privacy
• Ideal for Bolivians abroad
• Flexible scheduling
• The same CBT methodology
• Easy payment by bank transfer or QR

Who is it ideal for?

Perfect for people with busy schedules, frequent travelers, or anyone living in areas without access to CBT specialists.

If you are in Santa Cruz and prefer coming to the office, we also offer in-person individual therapy and in-person couples therapy; many people combine both formats depending on the week.

Fees and payment options

An online therapy session costs the same as an in-person one: 190 Bs (bolivianos) for 60-minute individual sessions. Online couples sessions: 300 Bs for 60 minutes.

We accept the following payment methods:

• Bank transfer (Banco Nacional de Bolivia, Banco Mercantil, Banco BISA. We arrange it when we confirm your appointment)
• Payment QR code (Banco Nacional, Banco Unión, Tigo Money, which can be scanned from any Bolivian banking app)
• RIA or Western Union for those who live abroad and no longer have an account with a Bolivian bank: they are easy to use, arrive quickly and usually offer a good exchange rate
• PayPal or international card for Bolivians abroad (with an additional 5% charge to cover the processing fee)

Payment is confirmed before each session begins.

Discounted packages (also valid for online sessions):

• 4 individual therapy sessions: 650 Bs (you save 110 Bs compared with paying per session)
• 10 individual therapy sessions: 1,500 Bs (you save 400 Bs compared with paying per session)
• 4 couples therapy sessions: 1,100 Bs (you save 100 Bs compared with paying per session)
• 10 couples therapy sessions: 2,500 Bs (you save 500 Bs compared with paying per session)

A package is especially valuable in short CBT processes: it allows weekly continuity without a payment to handle at every session, and the discount recognizes the patient’s commitment to the process.

Platforms we use and how the connection works

We work with three platforms, depending on your preference and connection:

• Google Meet (recommended): no installation needed, it works from your browser and encrypts the call in transit. Ideal for stable connections.
• Zoom: a robust alternative for less stable connections (it handles low bandwidth better). Requires downloading the app.
• WhatsApp video call: only for emergencies or emergency sessions when the Meet/Zoom connection is not stable. It is not the preferred option because WhatsApp heavily compresses video and audio, and the digital whiteboard is not available.

Minimum technical requirements: a stable internet connection of at least 5 Mbps, a device with a camera and microphone (laptop or phone), headphones (important for privacy and audio quality), and a private space where you can talk without being interrupted.

Privacy and special considerations

We do not record sessions. If you need to take notes, we recommend doing so by hand during the session. Meet and Zoom encrypt the connection in transit, so no one on the networks it travels through can listen in. In their standard setup this is not end-to-end encryption, which is why we also take care of what depends on us, such as not recording and seeing you from a private space.

If you live with family or a partner and need a private space, you can also have sessions from your car, parked in a safe place: this is a common and completely valid practice when your home doesn’t allow for confidentiality.

When does online work better than in-person, and when doesn’t it?

Online works very well for:

• Generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks (manageable)
• Mild to moderate depressive episodes
• Work stress, burnout, impostor syndrome
• Follow-up: patients who started in person and need continuity because of travel or a move
• Bolivians living abroad (Spain, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, the United States) who prefer therapy in their native language and with a shared cultural background
• People in La Paz, Cochabamba, Sucre, Tarija or other cities without local access to specialized CBT

We recommend in-person sessions for:

• Severe panic attacks and active agoraphobia (the therapist’s physical presence provides containment)
• Borderline Personality Disorder in an acute phase (requires in-person co-regulation)
• Complex trauma with frequent dissociation (online sessions can trigger more dissociation, not less)
• Active suicidal ideation (we prefer in-person contact and a face-to-face safety plan)
• Children under 12 (they respond better to in-person, play-based sessions)

If in doubt, the first session is a chance to decide together which format is most suitable. Switching from online to in-person (or vice versa) during the process is completely normal and doesn’t mean starting over.

• See all psychology services (in person and online)
• Contact us to start online therapy
• Book your first online session
• Content on anxiety, depression and emotional well-being
• Location of our physical office in Santa Cruz