Counselling for third culture kids, expats and repats offers a safe and understanding space to explore the unique challenges of living between cultures. These experiences often bring resilience, adaptability and a broader worldview, but they can also create deep feelings of disconnection, loneliness and uncertainty about where you truly belong.
Understanding Life Between Cultures
I know this from personal experience. I grew up as a third culture kid (TCK), lived abroad as an expat, and later returned to the UK as a repat. Each stage brought its own challenges. Starting over in new places felt exciting but also overwhelming. There was always a sense of leaving something behind, grieving friends, routines and parts of myself. Coming back to the UK, a place I was “meant” to call home, was unexpectedly difficult too. Things looked familiar on the surface, but I often felt like a stranger, caught between cultures and unsure where I fitted in.
If you identify with any of this, you may recognise the complex emotions that come with growing up or living across cultures. It can feel as though you belong everywhere and nowhere at once. Relationships may feel complicated because of differences in values or communication styles. You might notice a restlessness that makes it hard to settle, or anxiety that shows up whenever change is on the horizon. For many TCKs, expats and repats, there’s also a sense of identity confusion, “Who am I really, and where is home?”
When You’ve Moved Abroad for Your Partner
Sometimes the expat journey isn’t your own choice, but one you’ve taken to support your partner’s career or dreams. While they may be thriving in a new role, you might feel like a fish out of water — lonely, disconnected, and unsure of where you fit. Counselling offers space to talk about these feelings openly, to work through the sense of loss, and to rediscover your own voice and identity in the middle of so much change.
How Counselling Can Help
Through counselling for TCKs, expats and repats, we create space to gently untangle these experiences. Together we can explore how frequent moves, cultural transitions and shifting identities have shaped the way you see yourself and your relationships. You will have the chance to process feelings of grief and loss, acknowledge the strengths that come with your background, and find steadier ways of navigating change.
Some of the benefits of counselling include:
- A stronger sense of identity — learning how to feel rooted in who you are, even when geography shifts.
- Improved relationships — understanding how your background shapes communication and closeness, and finding new ways to connect.
- Greater ease with transitions — reducing anxiety and building resilience when moving, returning or adapting to new cultures.
Finding Belonging Within Yourself
The aim isn’t to erase the complexity of your life, but to help you feel grounded within it. By reflecting on your journey, you can develop a stronger sense of belonging — one that isn’t dependent on location but anchored in your authentic self. Counselling provides the tools and support to move forward with more clarity, confidence and peace of mind.
If you’re a TCK, expat or repat who feels caught between worlds, know that you don’t have to work through these challenges alone. With the right support, it’s possible to make sense of your experiences, carry them with more ease, and create a life that feels both connected and whole.
Taking the Next Step
You don’t need to have it all figured out before starting. Counselling offers a safe and steady space to explore what’s happening and discover what feels right for you.
If you’d like to know more or book an initial consultation, please get in touch. I’d be glad to hear from you.