Expats in Utrecht
Moving to a new country sounds like an adventurous undertaking, but the hurdles and challenges that come with it are often underestimated. Emigration means being confronted with a different culture, a different social system, often a different language, and of course, different people. Additionally, when leaving your home country behind, you often leave behind important support factors as well, such as your family, friends, and the comfort of your old home.
Your inner changes might not be visible right after the move, since you’ll be busy with various administrative and logistical tasks, and you’ll still be enjoying the novelty of living in a new country. After spending a couple of months abroad, you might start missing your old life, though, and you’ll start noticing that you are not entirely happy where you are.
Your unhappiness can take the shape of loneliness, sadness, anxiety, stress, or any combination of these. This can lead to adaptation problems, relationship issues, or burnout. My goal is to help you identify the problem(s) and the underlying issues and address them based on your needs and priorities. As a psychologist working in Utrecht, I’m familiar with the issues you might be facing.
It is important to note that you will be the driver in the therapeutic process, while I will be your guide and partner. To ensure that we have a good working relationship and that I can help you in the best possible manner, I value transparency and honesty throughout the therapy. Study shows that a good therapeutic relationship is particularly important when working together, as this constitutes an important ingredient for a successful outcome in therapy.
You are in the right place if you need help with the following issues:
Adaptation problems
Each country has its own culture, norms, and values. When moving to a different country, these cultural aspects are most often different from those that you have in your own country. It’s these differences that can make cultural adaptation very difficult to achieve. Many of the various problems expats face are caused by a lack of cultural adaptation. These problems include loneliness, relationship problems, difficulties learning the local language, experiencing problems with health care or finding a school for your children, and dealing with cultural differences.
As an expat, you may feel lost, lonely, and isolated in your new country. You may also be struggling with bureaucratic tasks, or with accepting and understanding your new home culture. By working together, I can help you view your host country with different eyes and allow you to feel more connected.
Burnout
The process of adapting to a new culture, language, and social customs, can be stressful and overwhelming. Coupled with high demands at work and personal life, this can lead to burnout, which is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged or excessive stress. If you suffer from burnout, you may feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and unmotivated, as well as have difficulty concentrating, sleeping, and maintaining relationships. You may also experience physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, and fatigue.
The first step in addressing the above issues is recognizing and accepting what’s going on followed by a willingness to work on these issues. We will work together to put solutions in place, to create structure in your life, and to set achievable goals.
Anxiety and stress
Life as an expat can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it can also be very stressful and anxiety-provoking. Some of the most common sources of stress and anxiety are the fear of the unknown, facing new challenges, learning a new language, understanding and navigating different cultural and social norms, financial uncertainties, and fear of making mistakes or not fitting in.
Due to these challenges, you may feel overwhelmed, anxious, and lonely. You may feel uncertain about what to do and how to deal with all the challenges you are facing. We will look together at the causes of your stress and anxiety and find appropriate solutions for your particular situation.
Depression
A certain amount of sadness is a normal reaction to life’s negative events. When sadness becomes persistent and interferes with your everyday life, we speak about depression. Depression is a mental health disorder characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness. It can also cause a lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyable, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt.
If you recognize one or more of the above complaints you may suffer from depression. Depression can take various forms – from mild to severe. I will not be able to help you with severe depression where medication might be needed, but I can help you work on milder symptoms of depression. If unsure of what kind of depression you have, book an appointment for a free session to discuss this with me.
Relationship issues
Positive relationships and a sense of belonging are essential to our well-being. Since expats move to a different geographical zone, they limit or cut themselves off from many of their former friends and/or family members. Most of the time, expats will seek new relationships when they move to a new country, but they soon realize that making lasting, strong friendships is more difficult than expected. One major problem for expats is the lack of a sense of belonging to the local culture. Expats can struggle to feel like they truly fit in, which can lead to feelings of alienation and disconnection from the community. This can in turn lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation, which can be difficult to cope with in an unfamiliar environment.
Living in a foreign country can be a challenging experience when it comes to intimate relationships as well. If your partner stays behind in your home country, you may have difficulty maintaining that long-distance relationship. In case you moved with your partner, you may both deal with the changes in a different way which can lead to arguments and discussions, which can cause additional stress.
Relationship problems can take various forms and they can involve different parties. I can provide a supportive and non-judgmental environment where we can work together on identifying the core problem(s) and find a way to address them positively.
Loneliness
Loneliness can be an incredibly difficult and painful experience for people. It is often marked by feelings of sadness, emptiness, and isolation. Loneliness can affect people emotionally and physically, causing them to feel disconnected from the world and those around them.
Loneliness is a common emotion among expats, as they often find themselves living far away from their family and friends. As an expat, you may have feelings of helplessness and/or hopelessness. Lack of motivation and a decrease in self-esteem are also common effects of loneliness. You may also have feelings of guilt or shame, as you may see yourself unworthy of social connections.
Life as an expat doesn’t have to be this lonely. We can look together at ways to cope with the feelings of loneliness and develop useful social skills to build a network in your new country.
Self-esteem and confidence
Having low self-esteem means generally having a negative overall opinion of oneself, judging or evaluating oneself negatively, and placing a negative value on oneself as a person. People with low self-esteem usually have negative beliefs about themselves and the kind of person they are.
If you have low self-esteem, you may feel that you are not good enough and hence, stay away from social situations, stop trying new things, and avoid things you find challenging. Low self-esteem can be debilitating and can even lead to depression and anxiety.
We can work together on identifying the negative beliefs you have about yourself and challenge them. We will also look into other simple techniques to help you feel better about yourself, such as building positive relationships, learning to be assertive, and more.
Personal growth
In its simplest definition, personal growth is making a conscious effort to better yourself. Also called personal development or self-development, personal growth is the process of actively working on improving one’s knowledge, skills, and abilities to achieve personal goals. People who actively engage in personal development activities typically strive to become the best version of themselves and strive for continued personal growth.
Personal development can cover a vast area and it can be targeted to different fields of your life, such as career, relationships, family, studies, self-confidence, and more. If you’re asking yourself ‘What do I want to achieve in life?’, I can help you identify your personal growth goals and draft a personal development plan.