Why Emotral
Emotral is an online counselling platform for the Iranian diaspora: Persian-speaking (Farsi) therapists for Iranians and Persian speakers living abroad.
Emotral is an online psychotherapy platform in Persian, for people who would rather talk about the hardest things in their life in their mother tongue. This page explains in full who our service is for, what it costs, how you can pay from inside and outside Iran, how therapists are reviewed and what we do with your information.
Compared with directories like Psychology Today: how to find a Farsi-speaking therapist abroad
A service for all Persian speakers
Emotral serves Persian speakers around the world: Iranians living in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States and Australia; Persian and Dari speakers from Afghanistan; and people living inside Iran.
All sessions are held in Persian. Our therapists have their own experience of migration or of working with clients who migrated, so you do not have to start from scratch when you talk about life far from home, distance from family, residency pressure or living between two cultures.
Reviewed therapists
No therapist joins Emotral without a review. Every application is submitted with academic records and professional history, the Emotral team reviews it, and a profile is published only after approval.
For therapists who hold a licence to practise, their Psychology and Counselling Organization code and membership number are recorded on their profile and visible to you. Each therapist's specialties, years of experience, languages and therapeutic approach are also on their profile, so you know who you will be meeting before you book.
Paying from outside Iran
Payments go through the secure Stripe payment gateway, one of the most trusted payment services in the world. Your card details are processed directly by Stripe and are never stored on Emotral servers.
Available payment methods:
- Visa, Mastercard and American Express
- European bank cards
- PayPal
- Apple Pay
- Klarna
- Local European methods such as Bancontact, EPS and TWINT
The price is always shown in your own country's currency, and you see the exact amount before you pay. There are no hidden costs, no membership fee and no compulsory subscription.
Paying from inside Iran
Clients inside Iran do not need an international card, foreign currency or a middleman. Each session costs 1,500,000 toman, paid by card to card transfer or by Sheba.
After you choose a therapist and a session time, you are shown the card number and Sheba number of a Bank Melli account in the name of Mohammadreza Molaei. You transfer the amount, enter the transfer details on the same page, and once the Emotral team confirms it, the session is final and the session link is sent to you. Until it is confirmed, the time you chose stays reserved for you.
Intake assessment and tests
Before your first session, you are asked a few short questions about your situation, concerns and preferences, including whether you would prefer a female or a male therapist. Based on your answers, the most suitable therapists are suggested to you.
Your answers have two parts. The therapeutic part, meaning the topics you are dealing with, your previous therapy and your preferences, is shared with the therapist you choose, so the first session starts from the right place. Your contact details, meaning your email, phone number and full name, are never sent to the therapist.
Separately, Emotral's free self-assessment tests for anxiety, depression and adult ADHD are available. The result is calculated and shown to you alone. During therapy, your therapist can also send you more specialised questionnaires, whose results stay between you and your therapist.
Clinical supervision
The quality of therapy holds up when the therapist also has somewhere to turn for advice. Emotral has a clinical supervision programme: therapists can bring their difficult cases to supervision sessions with a more experienced therapist.
These sessions take place between therapists, are confidential, and the client's identity is not disclosed in them. For you, this means your therapist is not alone and their work continues under professional oversight.
15-minute intro session
Many Emotral therapists offer a 15-minute intro session for 5 EUR (or 5 USD), so that the therapist's time is reserved and kept for you. It is there so you can see whether you feel comfortable with the therapist before you decide to start sessions. If you feel it is not the right fit, you can have up to 3 intro sessions, each time with a different therapist. If you cancel up to 24 hours before the session, the amount is refunded.
Support
The Emotral assistant answers on the website around the clock, in Persian, and can guide you on choosing a therapist, prices and the booking process, at whatever hour of the day or night you have a question.
For matters that need the human team, WhatsApp, the contact form and email are available, and no message goes unanswered.
Emotral is not a substitute for emergency services. If you are in crisis, see the urgent help numbers for your country.
Privacy and security
Sessions are not recorded. Your connection with your therapist is encrypted, and the content of sessions is not archived by anyone.
Emotral is operated by AfaTech GmbH, registered in Graz, Austria, and is subject to the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This means you are dealing with a registered European company with clear legal obligations, not an anonymous website.
More details are in the privacy policy and the terms of use.
Prices by country
| Country | Price per session |
|---|---|
| Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, France and the other eurozone countries | 39 euros |
| United Kingdom | 45 pounds |
| Switzerland | 50 francs |
| Canada | 130 Canadian dollars |
| United States | 100 dollars |
| Afghanistan, the UAE, Turkey and other countries | 45 dollars |
| Inside Iran | 1,500,000 toman |
The exact, up-to-date price for each country is shown on the pricing page. Students get a discount in some countries.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Emotral for?
Emotral is for Persian speakers around the world: Iranians living in Europe, North America and Australia, Persian and Dari speakers from Afghanistan, and people living inside Iran. All sessions are held in Persian, and the therapists are familiar with the cultural background of migration.
How much does a session cost?
The price depends on the country you live in: 39 euros in the eurozone countries, 45 pounds in the United Kingdom, 50 francs in Switzerland, 130 Canadian dollars in Canada, 100 dollars in the United States, 45 dollars in Afghanistan and most other countries, and 1,500,000 toman for clients inside Iran. The price is shown clearly before you pay, and there are no hidden costs.
How do I pay from outside Iran?
Payment goes through the secure Stripe payment gateway, which accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and European bank cards. Besides cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Klarna and local European methods such as Bancontact, EPS and TWINT are also available. Your card details are never stored on Emotral servers.
How can I book a session from inside Iran?
Clients inside Iran do not need an international card. After booking, you are shown the card number and Sheba number of a Bank Melli account in the name of Mohammadreza Molaei. You transfer 1,500,000 toman card to card or by Sheba, enter the transfer details on the same page, and once the Emotral team confirms it, the session is final and the session link is sent to you.
How are Emotral therapists selected?
No therapist joins Emotral without a review. Every application is submitted with academic records and professional history and reviewed by the Emotral team, and a profile is published only after approval. For therapists who hold a licence to practise, their Psychology and Counselling Organization code and membership number are recorded on their profile and visible to you.
What is the intake form, and who sees my answers?
Before your first session, you are asked a few short questions about your situation, concerns and preferences so that the most suitable therapists can be suggested to you. Your answers are split into two parts: the therapeutic part (topics, previous therapy, preferences), which is shared with the therapist you choose, and your contact details (email, phone number, full name), which are never sent to the therapist.
Is support available?
Yes. The Emotral assistant answers on the website around the clock, in Persian, and can guide you on choosing a therapist, prices and the booking process. For matters that need the human team, WhatsApp, the contact form and email are available, and no message goes unanswered.
Are sessions recorded?
No. Sessions are not recorded. Emotral is operated by AfaTech GmbH, registered in Graz, Austria, and is subject to the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
When you are ready, you can browse the therapists and book a time. If you are not sure yet, the 15-minute intro session is a good place to start.
View therapists