Some thoughts and a warm cup.

What is an Adult Third Culture Kid? Identity, belonging, and therapy for ATCKs in New York
cultural identity Leila Zhanybekova cultural identity Leila Zhanybekova

What is an Adult Third Culture Kid? Identity, belonging, and therapy for ATCKs in New York

I am fortunate to be part of a peer supervision group with a few treasured colleagues. We met at a training some years ago and meet to practice together, seek consultation where necessary, and provide support. In one of our meetings, we started talking about upbringing, and I mentioned I grew up going to an international school. My colleague surprised me by asking, “How did that affect you, do you think? There’s so much that happens in those years developmentally, and if you weren’t forming the connection with your parents in those years, how did that affect your relationship with them? Or with everyone else?”  

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Why doesn't the life you used to dream of feel like it’s yours anymore?

Why doesn't the life you used to dream of feel like it’s yours anymore?

You wouldn’t call it a crisis necessarily, but maybe feeling disconnected and chronically tired, and feeling like you’re going through the motions in rooms where you are, technically, succeeding. You have arrived at the destination and found yourself still waiting for the feeling that was supposed to come with it. Have you burnt out on your own goals? Is it supposed to feel different? Is this all there is?

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What is inner child work for Asian, Asian American, and Central Asian adults?

What is inner child work for Asian, Asian American, and Central Asian adults?

Sometimes, hearing the term “inner child work” can elicit a polite skepticism, particularly in the context of therapy. What does inner child work mean if your inner child has been parentified and does not particularly want to work more than they already have to?

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