At times when you are finding yourself low on energy, not as happy, living in a country you were not born in can become isolating and feel like you have no ground underneath your feet. If you have moved countries, it can be all the more difficult when you are dealing with issues of loss or separation, or to cope with feelings of loneliness and disconnectness. At such times, counselling may help to support you to find your own strengths again, feel more grounded, and be able to reconnect with yourself and others around you.
Even if it seems there are mainly issues in your relationship, it may help to come on your own to work through issues around separation and loss, if you are feeling overwhelmed because of parenting difficulties, or to understand more about your own role within a (present or past) relationship (e.g. in case of issues with anger, insecurity or difficulties with setting boundaries towards others).
As an expat psychologist specialised in systemic psychotherapy, I most often work with individuals on issues such as feelings of loneliness, identity issues (third culture kids), self esteem, improving your relationship(s), setting boundaries, working through separation and loss, (post-natal) depression, anxiety, and traumatic experiences. My individual counselling and therapeutic approach is short term, and aimed at helping you work through specific issues and improve your overall feeling of confidence and strength to be able to move forward in your own way. When appropriate, I also include systemic methods such as family constellations and mindfulness techniques to help you feel more grounded and present in the moment.
Some of the issues people come to me for individually:
- Anger
- Depression and/or anxiety
- Processing traumatic experiences
- Identity issues, such as consequences of moving a lot (also Third Culture Kids)
- Burn-out and depression
- Working through separation or divorce
- Help with understanding their own role in relationships
- Improving social skills
