Expat Counselling

All the Faces of Expat Experience
As expatriates, we have all experienced an emotional roller-coaster following cultural transitions and adjustments. Repatriation also can take its toll in the form of reverse cultural shock. Both present a mixed bag of enriching and challenging experiences. Being in contact with and immersed in other cultures can result in:
- Enhanced cultural awareness
- Reduced bias
- Increased self-efficacy
- Personal development
On the other hand, living abroad and/or returning to our home country can challenge our coping skills, bring distress, and test our grit. Not to mention shared cultural identities and processes that stem from that. We are so excited about the opportunity to support you during this journey.
Challenges with Uprooting and Setting Up Your Life Abroad
Although cultural shock and reverse cultural shock are to be expected, especially if there is a great deal of discrepancy between the home and host country, how we resolve it makes all the difference. Should you notice that initial excitement started to slide into pessimism or a sense of irritability around your expat experience, take a deep breath and be patient with yourself. That is just part of the journey, not a sign that you are not doing it right.
Current findings and our experience suggest that expatriate populations could be more at risk when compared to domestic workers when talking about mental health. Luckily, as we identify and become skilful in navigating said challenges, it becomes easier to manage and mitigate issues linked with cross-cultural psychological adjustment and integration. We would be happy to support you in this adventure.
Things to Have in Mind
It seems that the cultural integration toll is higher when:
- There is a significant cultural difference between home and the host country
- Family did not receive proper support
- There is a lack of proper cultural training before relocation
- There are family conflicts and poor family adjustment
- Experiencing chronic illness
- Dealing with existing psychological trauma or difficulties
- Feeling lonely or socially isolated.
Areas of Expertise
We provide counselling and psychotherapy services related to:
- Life and identity crises, cross-cultural living and integration
- Grief, loss and bereavement
- Shared and multiple cultural identities
- Difficulties linked with the status of TCK & ATCK
- Embracing and promoting diversity and cross-cultural integration at work
- Loneliness and isolation, expatriation and repatriation issues
- Other difficulties linked with stress, burnout and complex traumatic stress