Gustav Béen, MSc

Therapeutic Counselor

“For people who can already see the pattern clearly – and still find themselves inside it. This work goes somewhere understanding hasn’t reached.”

About Me

You can often see it while it's happening. The reaction that arrives before you've chosen it. The conversation that keeps ending in the same place. The way you've already adjusted before anything was asked of you. The people I work with are usually thoughtful and reflective. Many have already spent real time on themselves, in therapy, in reflection, sometimes both, and still find that certain emotional or relational patterns persist. My work is less focused on giving advice or interpretation, and more on staying close to what's actually happening in real time, because lasting change rarely comes through understanding alone. I work slowly, and I don't move past what's just emerged. What orients me is whatever is actually present while we're talking, not the history behind it, not the explanation of it, but what's moving right now. Many of the people I work with are navigating periods of transition, relationally, emotionally, professionally, or through living between cultures and identities. This is also often a good fit for queer clients and others who want less energy to go toward explaining their experience, and more toward the work itself. I offer online counselling for individuals and couples, in English and Swedish. Based in southern Spain, working with clients internationally. If you're considering this work, the first step is a free 20-minute call, no cost, no commitment.

Approach

Sessions are paced carefully. I pay attention not only to what’s being said, but to what happens while you’re saying it – shifts in emotion, withdrawal, or something that tightens and gets talked past. When that happens, I’ll slow things down rather than continue. We stay with what emerged rather than moving on from it. My work draws primarily on Internal Family Systems (IFS) and the Gottman Method. IFS works with distinct parts of inner experience – approaching what’s there with curiosity rather than trying to manage or eliminate it. The Gottman Method brings structure to couples work – helping track communication patterns, escalation, repair, and emotional disconnection as they happen.

Contact Gustav

Ask a quick question or arrange a time to meet.

Basic Information

Motril, Spain

In-person & Online

Services

The people I work with typically come with one of two things, or both: something happening in a relationship, conflict that repeats, emotional distance, difficulty feeling close or understood, or something happening internally that they can't quite shift despite real effort. Common areas include repeating relational patterns, emotional overwhelm, self-worth, anxiety, life transitions, and identity shifts. For couples, the focus is usually on conflict cycles, disconnection, and rebuilding trust or communication. What connects these experiences is often the feeling of seeing the pattern clearly while still finding yourself caught inside it.

Services Offered:

Counselling
A form of talk therapy providing a safe, confidential space to explore feelings, thoughts, and behaviours with a trained professional.
Learn more about Counselling
Individual Therapy
One-on-one therapy sessions between a client and a therapist, focused on that person's specific concerns and goals.
Learn more about Individual Therapy
Online Counselling
Counselling conducted via video, phone, or secure messaging, providing professional support remotely.
Learn more about Online Counselling
Online Therapy
Therapy sessions conducted over video call, phone, or secure messaging, using the same professional methods delivered remotely.
Learn more about Online Therapy
Relationship Counselling
Counselling for couples or partners focused on improving communication, rebuilding trust, and strengthening emotional connection.
Internal Family Systems
A therapy model that views the mind as made up of distinct sub-personalities or 'parts', each with its own role, and works to help these parts communicate and heal under the leadership of a core Self.
Trauma Counselling
Counselling specifically for people affected by traumatic events, focused on processing what happened and reducing symptoms like flashbacks and hypervigilance.
Learn more about Trauma Counselling

Works With:

Adults
Couples
Individuals

Area of Expertise

Scope of Practice:

Anxiety
Persistent worry, nervousness, or fear that is disproportionate to the situation and interferes with daily functioning.
Learn more about Anxiety
Cross-Cultural
The psychological challenges of living between two or more cultures, including identity conflicts, acculturation stress, and difficulties with belonging.
Identity & Self-Image
A person's sense of who they are, including their values, beliefs, roles, and self-perception, and the distress that arises when this sense is unclear, fragmented, or negative.
LGBTQI+ Support
The unique psychological experiences of LGBTQI+ individuals, including identity exploration, coming out, discrimination, minority stress, and relationship dynamics.
Life Transitions
Major life changes, such as relocation, retirement, parenthood, or career shifts, that disrupt routine and require psychological adjustment.
Learn more about Life Transitions
Relationship Issues
Difficulties in romantic relationships, including communication problems, trust breakdowns, conflict patterns, or uncertainty about the relationship's future.
Learn more about Relationship Issues
Relocation / Expat
The psychological challenges of moving to a new country or city, including loneliness, culture shock, identity shifts, and loss of social support.
Learn more about Relocation / Expat
Self-Esteem
A person's overall sense of their own worth and value. When chronically low, it can drive self-doubt, avoidance, and difficulty in relationships.
Learn more about Self-Esteem
Stress / Burnout
The body and mind's response to prolonged or excessive demands. When sustained, it can lead to emotional exhaustion, detachment, and reduced functioning (burnout).
Learn more about Stress / Burnout
Trauma
The lasting psychological impact of deeply distressing events, such as violence, abuse, accidents, or disasters, that overwhelm a person's ability to cope.
Learn more about Trauma