TCK/ATCK - Third Culture Kid/Adult Third Culture Kid

A Third Culture is a child who has been born and/or brought up in a (or many) countries that are different from the country of his parent's passport. Those children have often been schooled in a different language from the one they speak at home, which means that they may also have spent their school days in a culture which is very different from their home culture. As they grow up, they realise that over the years that have build their own personal culture, which is a mix of the different countries they have lived in and of what they learned at home. The common language of this third culture crowd is often English, which they sometimes speak with an undetermined accent.

A grown-up TCK is an ATCK (Adult Third Culture Kid)... However thrilling, exciting, rewarding, mind opening it may have been, growing up, going to university and later on in the professional and personal life, issues may arise. Difficulty in settling in a place, in a specific national group, in a job or in a relationship for example. When issues arise at a young adult age, psychologist may not always be able to relate the malaise to the childhood expat years.

In order to make this incredibly rich childhood experience a strong base for a balanced life, exploring the following could be a starting point:

1. Acknowledging the situation
2. Identifying the strenghs and weaknesses it has developed
3. Dealing with other issues it might have created
4. Etc...

This will help create awareness of where the individual stands at the present moment and build a successful future.

Anxiety, depression or any other serious psychological  issues must be dealt with by the appropriate medical doctor. Coaching helps but cannot substitute medical treatment. Coaching and medical treatment can be done simultaneously.