Mindful Expat, With Dana Nelson, Ph.d.

What you’ll hear in this episode: • I'll introduce you to the concept of the "rentrée" in France (basically back-to-school but for adults and kids alike!). • We'll discuss how this time of year can be an opportunity to take stock of what we have accomplished and learned in the past year and set our intentions for the year to come. • I will provide you with some tips for how to begin to build habits in the service of your goals so that you can continue to make progress throughout the year on the things that are most important to you.  Resources mentioned in this episode: • For those of you currently focused on helping kids make a transition to a new school (possibly in a new country), be sure to go back an listen to my conversation with Kate Berger from the Expat Kids Club in episode 22, where we talk about how parents can support their kids through relocation.  • In talking about how we can take care of our future selves, I mentioned a funny episode of the show Seinfeld with "Night Guy" and "Morning Guy." Wh

What you’ll hear in this episode: • Today's episode will be a brief welcome back to the podcast after our break in August. I'll share with you a bit about what I have in mind for Season 2! • I'll invite you to connect with Mindful Expat (and me!) and stay in touch as we move into Season 2. Resources mentioned in this episode: • Mindful Expat is one Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! (Facebook is probably the best way to connect on social media, since I share a lot of articles and other resources there that I don't always share on other platforms.) • Be sure to sign up for the Mindful Expat Newsletter! Mindful Expat Podcast Survey! It's not too late to fill out the survey! I’d like to get some feedback from you as we move into Season 2 to help me know what you’d like to hear more about in upcoming episodes. I would really appreciate it if you’d take a few minutes to complete this brief survey that I’ve designed to learn more about you and your needs and interests. Thanks in advance! Stay in Touch! To make sure

What you’ll hear in this episode: • I’ll share with you some updates about the podcast and invite you to take a short survey I've designed to help me know what you'd like to hear more about in Season 2 of the podcast. • We'll discuss a quote from Thich Nhat Hahn that says, "Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."  • I'll share with you some fascinating research that shows that this quote is literally true, and we'll also discuss some ways you can work to subtly shift your perspective to feel more joy in your life.  Resources mentioned in this episode: • Buddha Doodles is an adorable comic illustration series by illustrator Molly Hahn. It makes me smile, so it might make you smile too! The particular illustration that inspired today's episode (with a quote from Thich Nhat Hahn) can be found here.  • If you're interested in learning a bit more about some of the research I mentioned in today's episode, check out this article from Scientific Americ

Today’s Mindful Expat Guest is Dr. Nazanin Moali! Dr. Moali is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of California in the United States. She is not only a practicing psychologist, but also a consultant, researcher, sex educator, and fellow podcaster! She has two wonderful podcasts – one in English and one in Farsi – both called Sexology, where she shares research, insights, and interviews with experts in the field of sexuality to help people better understand their own sexuality and enhance their sexual intimacy and satisfaction. Dr. Moali was born in Iran, and moved to the United States with her family at the age of 17. From a young age, she traveled extensively and has long been fascinated with different cultures – which led her to pursue a multicultural counseling emphasis in her clinical training and to write her dissertation on post-traumatic growth following immigration. (Which is not our topic for today’s podcast, but I’m thinking we may need to see if she’d be willing to come back at some poin

Today’s Mindful Expat Guest is Kate Berger, MSc! Kate is a child and adolescent psychologist based in Amsterdam. Her private practice is called the Expat Kids Club, and -- as the name would suggest -- she specializes in working with expat and Third Culture Kids and their families. She is originally from New York, completed her bachelors degree from George Washington University in Washington, DC, and then moved to the Netherlands to continue her studies at Leiden University, where she received her masters degree in child and adolescent psychology. Kate’s own experience of living abroad has shaped her interest in working with young people in this intercultural space. Kate not only works with expat kids and their families in Amsterdam, but she also does consulting and outreach worldwide on issues relevant to the community of expat families. What you’ll hear in this episode: • Some of the common struggles that Kate sees expat kids struggling with in her practice. • How the stress of relocation impacts kids' emoti

What you’ll hear in this episode: • I'll share with you some updates about the podcast.  • We’ll discuss some common myths and misconceptions about counseling/psychotherapy that sometimes serve as barriers to seeking help. We'll debunk these myths and discuss what counseling/psychotherapy is really like.  Resources mentioned in this episode: • If you missed last week's episode about expat depression (which included some links to helpful resources for finding a therapist abroad), click here to check it out.  • The International Therapist Directory (mentioned back in Episode 8, when I interviewed the site’s creator, Josh Sandoz) is a wonderful resource for finding English-speaking therapists around the world who specialize in working with expats and third culture kids — this website has different sections for each country as well as a worldwide section, where you can find therapists who work with people remotely. • I also referred back to Episode 7, where we talked about how to balance acceptance with change. 

What you’ll hear in this episode: • We'll discuss what depression is, some factors that contribute to it, and why I think this is a particularly important issue for people living abroad.  • We'll discuss some of the ways depression can be effectively treated and how you can connect with therapists in your area or online.  • We'll discuss some alternatives to therapy and medication, such as exercise and mindfulness practice (surprise, surprise!), that can help with depression and be used alongside other treatment methods.  • We'll talk about some of the common barriers to getting help while living overseas and how we can overcome these barriers.  • I'll provide some additional resources for anyone struggling with depression or thoughts of self-harm or suicide (see below for links to these resources).  Resources mentioned in this episode: • For more general information about depression, you can refer here or here.  • If you're struggling with thoughts of harming yourself or ending your own life, please know th

What you’ll hear in this episode: • I ask you to reflect on whether you're waiting on something to really start living and encourage you to think about how this may present a barrier to living in the present moment.  • We discuss how to allow yourself to start really living right now, even as you may also be working toward your goals or trying to overcome obstacles. • We discuss how gratitude practice can play a central role in being more fully present in our daily lives.  Resources mentioned in this episode: • In today's episode, I refer back to some previous episodes about mindfulness practice. If you missed some of these episodes, you can check them out here: Episode 3, Episode 7. Stay in Touch! To make sure you don’t miss future episodes of Mindful Expat, you can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcasting app. To receive monthly summaries of podcast episodes and stay up to date on other announcements and resources, sign up for the Mindful Expat Podcast Newsletter! (Whe

What you’ll hear in this episode: • A continuation of our last discussion about how our emotions can actually give us useful messages about our needs — if only we can learn how to listen and decode the messages they’re sending us! • Some of the reasons why many people have learned to distrust their emotional signals — and how we can begin to practice listening to them again. • An exercise for you to practice listening to your own inner voice and begin to tune in to your own needs more effectively. Resources mentioned in this episode: • Today’s episode is a follow up to episode 17. If you missed the previous episode, you can check it out here. • I shared a quote from Parker Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. Stay in Touch! To make sure you don’t miss future episodes of Mindful Expat, you can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcasting app. To receive monthly summaries of podcast episodes and stay up to date on other announcements and resources

What you’ll hear in this episode: • About how our emotions are actual useful! They give us important information about our needs -- if only we can learn to listen to them! • How to begin to tune in and be curious about what our emotions are telling us and respond with intention to get our needs met. Stay in Touch! To make sure you don’t miss future episodes of Mindful Expat, you can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcasting app. To receive monthly summaries of podcast episodes and stay up to date on other announcements and resources, sign up for the Mindful Expat Podcast Newsletter! (When you sign up, you’ll also receive a free mp3 guided mindfulness exercise to practice on your own!) And, finally, if you’d like to get in touch and leave me a voice message with a question or comment that may be played in a future episode, you can do so here!

What you’ll hear in this episode: • About the importance of practicing mindfulness in everyday situations or through “formal practice” so that we have the skills when we really need them (when we’re in distress). • How to use mindful eating as an everyday mindfulness practice. Resources mentioned in this episode: • The exercise I use in this episode is adapted from the book The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness, by Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, and Jon Kabat-Zinn. This book is an excellent resource not only for those who struggle with depression, but also for anyone who may get stuck in anxious or ruminative ways of thinking from time to time (i.e., most of us!). Stay in Touch! To make sure you don’t miss future episodes of Mindful Expat, you can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcasting app. To receive monthly summaries of podcast episodes and stay up to date on other announcements and resources, sign up for the Mindf

Today’s Mindful Expat Guest is Sundae Schneider-Bean! Sundae is an intercultural strategist and solution-oriented coach, and – as she says –she’s on a mission to help expats make the most of their lives abroad! Sundae is originally from the United States, from the state of North Dakota. Even before meeting her Swiss husband and launching on a series of international moves with him, Sundae had a thirst for international adventure. In her early 20s, she traveled extensively throughout south-east Asia, where she met her husband in Vietnam – which then led her to move to Switzerland. After a number of years together there, they then moved to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where they stayed until in 2016 when the political situation and lack of security in the region made it no longer safe to remain – at which point they relocated to South Africa, where they now live with their 2 children. Sundae has her masters in Intercultural Communications and is a Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation. Her ex

What you’ll hear in this episode: • How you can create a pause between your initial experience of an emotion and your reaction to it, and how doing so will allow you to cultivate more self-compassion and feel less out of control in your life. • About the differences between pain and suffering — and how our responses to our own internal experiences determine the extent to which we suffer. • The Buddhist metaphor of the two arrows, which illustrates this difference between pain and suffering. • How all of this might apply to the experience of struggling with adaptation to a new country/culture. Resources mentioned in this episode: • I mentioned a quote from Japanese author and marathon runner Haruki Murakami. This quote comes from his book, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (which is far more about life philosophy than it is about running!). • I mentioned Viktor Frankl, the famous psychiatrist who invented logotherapy and who survived the concentration camps during WWII. To learn more about him, you

Today’s Mindful Expat Guest is Oxana Holtmann! Oxana was born and grew up in the Siberian part of Russia. She has lived in Moscow, Germany, and now the United States, in Washington, DC. Oxana works as a Conscious Leadership and Relationship Coach, helping her clients nurture and strengthen their relationships, discover their creativity, and develop a sense of personal empowerment in their lives. She specializes in working with international or transnational people – people who may consider themselves “citizens of the world,” and who may call more than one place home. She is a Certified Professional Career Coach and she also has several other coaching certifications, including in relationship and leadership coaching. Oxana is also the founder of the Conscious Global Living Project, where she works to help people living global lives find a sense of “home” within themselves and nurture close, satisfying relationships even as they may be making frequent moves. What you’ll learn in this episode: • Some of the comm

What you’ll learn in this episode: • Some different contexts that expat or intercultural couples find themselves in and how these contexts can present unique challenges for relationships. • Some of the most common challenges I see in expat and intercultural relationships (including some of my own experiences!). • How open, non-defensive communication can help couples learn and grow together through the challenges rather than let them damage their relationships.  Related resources: • I didn't mention any particular resources in today's episode, but if you want to check out some books that I highly recommend related to relationship and couples issues, you can visit this section of my resources page.  Stay in Touch! To make sure you don’t miss future episodes of Mindful Expat, you can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcasting app. To receive monthly summaries of podcast episodes and stay up to date on other announcements and resources, sign up for the Mindful Expat Podcast Ne

What you’ll learn in this episode: • How change is an inevitable part of our lives -- especially when we're living abroad -- and how accepting and even embracing change (rather than resisting it) can allow us to be happier. • Some tips for learning how to accept and embrace change in your life -- including practicing being fully present, recognizing that this too shall pass, welcoming change (or relaxing into it), practicing gratitude, and practicing self-compassion. Resources mentioned in this episode: • To learn more about mindfulness, check out episode 3 and episode 7 of Mindful Expat, where we explored this concept in more depth. • I mentioned Brené Brown and her book, Daring Greatly. To see a list of several other books that she's written that I think are fantastic, go here. Stay in Touch! To make sure you don’t miss future episodes of Mindful Expat, you can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcasting app. To receive monthly summaries of podcast episodes and stay up to

Today’s Mindful Expat Guest is Naomi Hattaway! Naomi is from the United States (originally from Nebraska). She and her husband have 3 children, and together they have lived in New Delhi, India, Singapore, and they've now repatriated back to the US -- first to Florida, then to Northern Virginia, and now to Columbus, Ohio. Naomi is the founder of 8th & Home, a real estate and relocation company, where she specializes not only in helping families with the practical details of relocating, but also helps them find and build a true sense of community – where they can really thrive – in their new homes. Naomi is also the founder of an amazing movement called, “I am a Triangle” (which was the helpful resource that Amel Derragui shared with us back in episode 6!). In 2013, Naomi wrote a blog post, entitled, “I am a Triangle and Other Tips for Repatriation,” where she wrote about her experience of living abroad and repatriating, using the shape of a triangle as a metaphor for her experience – saying that when we co

What you’ll learn in this episode: • About my experience at the Families in Global Transitions (FIGT) Conference last week. • About the link between our thoughts and our feelings and some strategies for becoming more aware of automatic thoughts. • The parable of the two wolves and how it can be a useful metaphor for thinking about the types of thoughts we’re cultivating in our lives. • The importance of mental habits and cultivating habits that lead to the experiences we want to have (rather than those that make us feel distress). Resources either mentioned in this episode or related to the topics discussed: • If you want to learn more about the Families in Global Transitions (FIGT) Conference that I just attended, you can go here. • If you’d like to see the resources I shared with the participants who attended my Kitchen Table Conversation at the FIGT Conference (discussing mindfulness for teen TCKs), you can access it here. (It contains a number of websites, apps, and books on these subjects.) • If you miss

Today’s Mindful Expat Guest is Josh Sandoz! Josh is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) currently living and working in Seattle Washington (in the US), where he specializes in working with expats, repatriated expats, and Third Culture Kids (TCKs). Josh not only works with TCKs, but he actually is an adult TCK himself! Born in South Korea to foreign missionary parents, he grew up as part of a highly international community. He has worked for Interaction International – an organization geared toward TCKs and internationally mobile families – where he provided transition seminars for adolescent TCKs before becoming a therapist. Josh is also the person behind the International Therapist Directly, a wonderful website that he created as a way to help people around the world locate therapists who speak their own language and who are sensitive to some of the unique needs of people living abroad. What you’ll learn in this episode: • About Josh’s story of growing up in a highly international community and his con

What you’ll hear in this episode:• The attitudes of mindfulness — beginner’s mind, non-judgment, acknowledgment, non-striving or letting be, self-reliance, and self-compassion. • That acceptance and commitment to change are not in opposition to one another. • About my plans to attend the FIGT conference next week! Resources mentioned in this episode:• I mentioned the book, A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, by Bob Stahl & Elisha Goldstein, which is a great resource for more information about these attitudes of mindfulness. • I also mentioned some website that have free audio-guided exercises for practicing mindfulness. There are a lot of such websites out there, but I’ve compiled a list of some of the ones that I like on this page of my website. • I also mentioned the organization Families in Global Transitions (FIGT), whose conference I will be attending next week. FIGT is a great organization to check out and consider joining if you are living abroad or if you work with people who live abroa