Another said;
A local coach in the country who could give guidance would be a great support.
The general feel I got from both the expat spouses and the various online websites is that it is imperative to get out and involve yourself in the local community. Join groups, sporting associations, and school activities and be prepared to accept any invitations that come your way. Building up a social network for the expat spouse is important for mental wellbeing and emotional stability.
You must be willing to step out of your comfort zone, join a women’s group, find out about coffee mornings. Accept any invitations you receive, as you never know who you might meet, and sitting home alone won’t get you anywhere!
The general rule is; “Happy wife (spouse), happy life”.
Implications for Life Coaching
From the research I have conducted there are several implications for Coaching. Fundamentally Life Coaching is about support. It is a safe place to share concerns, discuss problems and find actions steps to move forward. From personal experience, a life Coach would have been invaluable for me in the first few months in Vietnam. My life was in turmoil, my children hated me, I had no friends and no support whatsoever. As soon as my husband and children walked out the door for the day, I was alone, and lonely. I would have loved nothing better than to talk to a Coach about the emotions I was feeling, and how to manage them.
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Maureen Morton
May 10, 2013 at 7:58 pm
Dear Karen
I found this article fascinating. I often wondered and marvelled at how you coped and were coping in those early years. To have remembered and written it down is so worth while and I hope it will go into the reading package of every new expat, wherever they are going.
I can also see a career blossoming for you, wherever you are, by introducing this concept, of providing a coach to expatriate spouses in the early days of their moves, to the Human resources manager of companies. You could certainly sell the idea on the basis of cost alone, when you think how much money they lose when an employee goes home early because the family cannot settle in a new country.
Thank you so much for sharing this with me. I really enjoyed reading it.
Nothing like the usual academic waffle
love and hugs
Maureen
Truth always
May 12, 2013 at 4:35 pm
Hey, Karen doesn’t mention here the really telling background story of how she came to be an expatriate, leaving her former policeman husband for her current one that’s a banker, with three kids under 10 at the time. Plenty of grey facts about whether it was adultry as well. Not sure I would recommend her services as a lifecoach. Amazing how some people re brand themselves so anyone needing marketing tips should follow her advice. Also one of her current family members seems to be leaving the positive notes. Karen as a lifecoach is the funniest thing I could ever imagine. Would be interesting to hear her guidance in ethics or family morals
e.curran
May 14, 2013 at 4:09 am
Truth always , isn’t it strange how people like you do not use their real name especially when they are leaving negative views, or just their side of a story.
vorameghana
May 30, 2013 at 2:55 am
Expatriate is very important, especially for those who travel to different countries for work purposes. Expatriate can be anyone which chooses to live in a country other than the motherland.http://www.whatisall.com/people/what-is-an-expatriate.html