Expatriates are well known for being tough, resilient, and highly adaptive to changes in circumstances. But when you or your loved one experience trauma symptoms either from the past or while abroad, it puts into focus the difficulties of dealing with hardships in an unfamiliar place. Not only do you have to deal with the trauma itself, but you have to do it without your familiar sources of comfort and support, especially if you are living abroad alone.
If you have dealt with or experienced any of the following, the safety and security you may have once felt in your temporary or new homeland may be shattered.
- Evacuations
- Criminal violence
- Natural disasters
- Political turmoil
- Terrorist threats or activities
- Security threats
- Emergency relief
- Camp refugees
- War zones
- Death of a loved one or work colleague
- Serious illness of even simple conditions that cannot be treated in your new country due to lack of medical resources
- Moving from post to post
- Relocating/repatriating to your homeland
If you need help in dealing with the stress and psychological impact of these or any other traumatic events in your expatriate experience, we are here to help. Even though you might be initially running on adrenaline rush and feel a sense of euphoria of giving so much to help others, you might also feel that you might become irritable, have a short fuse, not sleeping well, or not eating well. You might become an adrenaline junkie that, with time, might highjack your sense of balance and perspective in daily living and might leave you feeling inept, bored and not fitting in when back to a regular routine.
Flori’s Testimony as an Expat
As someone who has travelled extensively and lived away from home for most of my adult life, I also possess a uniquely personal empathy and compassion for people struggling with expatriate living and the emotional pain that often goes with that. I know how hard it is to be away from home and I offer online therapy for those who struggle with the challenges of living abroad.
While living abroad as an expatriate, my family had to deal with an evacuation and a political coup de etat while trying to help the kids adjust to their new school, find a home to live in, struggling to create a social support system in the new home country. Part of me understands well these experiences and the stress they bring into your life as well your loved ones’ life.
In addition to knowing the expat experience from a personal level, I am also certified in advanced trauma treatment that can help you regain balance and joy in your life and your relationships.
For those who are still living abroad, I offer online expatriate-counseling using Simple Practice, a HIPAA-compliant counseling platform, so we can connect no matter where you currently reside. This way, we can connect using video or voice chat across the globe and time zones to work on effectively dealing with your trauma.
Email us today to see if online counseling is the right fit for your current needs. One of our professional goals is to help expatriates and their families adjust to and thrive in their new lives. Let us help you, too.
