There have been times, after having had a session with a child or teen who has spent most of their young life moving around the world, that I wish I could sit down with their parents, international teachers, and school counselor to chat about my client. I would want to brainstorm together on how to make the child’s school and international experience better.
Read MoreEvery time it rains, I go home to South America, by Lois Bushong, Author of Belonging Everywhere and Nowhere: Insights into Counseling the Globally Mobile brings us her 5 Essentials For Parents Transitioning Kids Abroad guide. Lois has extensive personal and professional experience working with both expat parents, Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and Adult Third Culture Kids and her work focuses on embracing the benefits and managing the challenges that the expat families face when going through global transitions.
Read MoreI believe the majority of TCKs are wonderful counselors and psychologists. They have faced their own demons and conquered them. They are well trained, very compassionate with their clients, and have excellent skills in working with all levels of society.
Last year, I stumbled on to an article on why Third Culture Kids make good therapists. So here goes my own list, with apologies to the originator of the idea of WHY TCKs make good therapists:
Read MoreThe action of pulling my well-worn suitcase off the closet shelf never fails to awaken strong feelings of anxiety and excitement. Some TCKs feel only anxiety, others excitement.
But me? I sense both anxiety and excitement.
I believe much of this is due to my life as a TCK and moving from country to country, saying goodbye to new and old friends, leaving behind much-loved caretakers, the excitement of sensing that a new adventure is about to begin, fear of the unknown, wondering what will accidentally be left behind, and the anticipation of our new home, all mixed in with the silent pleasure of leaving behind some challenging relationships.
Read MoreI have designed my Client Intake Form with the Adult TCK or the Cross-Cultural Kid in mind. Each of these questions gives me a clue as to their rate of mobility as well as their exposure to various cultures. Each question could result in a long discussion around their global lifestyle. Other clues might be . Their employment with an international agency or an NGO.
2. Some of the symptoms they often check on my Client Intake Form are: restlessness, loss of identity, grief, transitional challenges, relational Issues, depression or anxiety.
3. In answering the question, “Briefly describe your problem” they often give clues to their life as a TCK. An example might be “I struggle with making meaningful friends as people are so superficial”.
Last week, I had surgery on my left hand which has kept me “handicapped” this week. As I was painfully trying to type on Thursday, I surprisingly realized the value of the “underdog”, my non-dominant hand. When I could once again type, I jotted down why I needed my left hand, even though I had a perfectly capable, right hand.
Then, my mind launched into the metaphor how this is all like TCKs and those who have not had the privilege of living this lifestyle i.e. non-TCKs. From my perspective as a TCK, I see the TCK as the right hand and the non-TCK as the left hand.
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