Hi, I’m Bec
My own experience, and love affair, with international living started in highschool when I left the hot sandy beaches of Australia as an exchange student to The Great White North (Canada). This gave me the amazing opportunity to live with Canadians, and do Canadian “stuff “(like chasing rocks down ice runways with brooms) , not as a tourist but as an “honorary Canadian”. It was life changing. Not only because of all the good times but because it challenged me to stretch, adapt, grow. and even, at times, bounce back. Back in Australia, I continued my nomadic lifestyle, moving cross-country and starting over several times, as a young military wife. At the same time I had married into an expat family never expecting we too would one day take the leap. Our first expat stint was in The USA, then The United Arab Emirates, and currently, we are living, working and raising our two Third Culture Kids in France. It has definitely been a wild (mostly fun) ride but not every day is The Eiffel Tower and warm croissants. We are not playing tourists here. This is real life! From as early as my teens I’ve understood the unique rollercoaster of emotions that go with moving, building a life, and fitting in “somewhere else”. The ability to access therapeutic support wherever, and whenever, it is needed, from someone who can understand, can be invaluable. Sadly, this may not always be possible due to cultural views on mental health, language barriers or geographical remoteness. On-line counselling makes therapy highly accessible and research shows it to be as effective as face-to-face counselling. This means you can meet with me from the comfort and convenience of your own couch, sofa, canapé or Chesterfield (though sorry, you’ll need to make your own coffee).
Everyone is unique, so counseling is always tailored to individual needs, but I like to draw from evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, motivational interviewing and solution-focused brief therapy. I am Australian trained and have a Graduate Diploma in Psychology, Masters of Counselling and Graduate Certificate of Positive Psychology and Coaching.I have worked with adults, teens and couples in the USA, the UAE and France. I am an experienced trainer and public speaker and am passionate about mental health awareness and advocacy. I am excited by psychology’s foray into positive psychology in the the last few decades. Now, rather than focusing solely on “what’s wrong” with human-beings, researchers are studying “what’s right”. As part of this, attention has been given to human strengths and understanding what gives individual’s meaning and purpose. Depending on individual needs, I combine traditional counseling treatments with discoveries in positive psychology research so that my clients can feel they are not just bouncing back but bounce forward in their international lives.
Please see services for more information on how I might help or contact me for an appointment.