Maximize the Positive Power of Social Media BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER Your Move: How to use technology to keep connected and avoid the negative aspects throughout your global journey

Laura Anderson, Nicole Blyth, Amber Folkman and Sundae Schneider Bean

Global nomads are generally a tech savvy group of people. Yet our aim is that even the most seasoned expats among us will learn from, and laugh with us about, specific guidelines and resources presented in this workshop. We will explore the ways that specific forms of technology and social media can help expats learn, transition, settle, connect, and re-connect. We also know that all that glitters is not gold. Elements of social media contribute to anxiety and depression in teens and adults, and we will discuss building coping skills to stay centered in the sea of social media messages to compare and compete. Come learn how we can harness the power of “good” with concrete strategies to find community, maintain relationships, and minimize the negative impact of technology on our wellness. Finally, we are going to pool our collective knowledge as a community, and will spend time in this workshop dreaming up elements of the ideal global nomad online resource. Come tell us what you want!

Meeting of the FIGT Counseling and Coaching Affiliate

Daniela Tomer and Shellee Burroughs

Join us for the Early Bird Counseling and Coaching Forum. It will be the first FIGT C&C Affiliate’s Annual Meeting and it is open to anyone interested in Counseling and Coaching.

Research Forum: Dialog Between Researchers and Research Consumers

Sarah Gonzales

Looking for a research topic, or have research topics you would like to see addressed? This FIGT Research Network forum brings together research consumers and producers to share questions or ideas, and to serve as a think tank for possible research opportunities. If you are living the globally mobile life and/or are sending or supporting the globally mobile,  come tell us what you would really like to know more about. If you are a researcher come to learn about important research topics and possible opportunities for research collaboration while networking with research focused colleagues.

Laura Sheehan and Jody Conibear Tangredi

An engaging interactive session geared towards helping people identify a thread of useful and transferable skills that can be applied in any situation or new community. Accompanying partners, ACCKs, and ATCKs are invited to join as we help you translate your life and work into meaningful and employable skills for people who may not share or recognize the value of global mobility experiences.

Back to top

Early Bird Forums II
Sunday April 28, 2019 | 08:15-09:45

Counseling and Coaching Early Bird Forum on Emotional Support

This will be two presentations followed by an open discussion on best practices counseling in a cross cultural environment.

Pascale Paradis: Toolkit for Global Migration: Resilience, Positivity and Talents
This session will outline positive psychology constructs as pertinent tools to support global migration and buffer risks, overcome significant challenges and isolation. Resilience, positivity and anchor points will be discussed in terms of important constructs. The session will also aim to share specific strategies for the global migrant.

Sonia Jaeger and Vivian Chiona: Is Online the Future of Therapy for the Globally Mobile?
An ever-increasing number of individuals in our world are living globally-mobile lifestyles and are in need of location independent services that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. In order to meet this need, many mental health professionals are harnessing the power of technology to take their own therapy and counseling services online. Online therapy may offer benefits for certain types of clients, but is not necessarily for everyone. Two location independent counsellors working online with digital nomads, expats and other globally mobile clients will share their unique perspectives and experience of providing online counseling for the globally mobile.

Current Research on Expat Adjustment Abroad and Repatriating (FIGT Research Network)

Anastasia Lijadi: Sustaining Quality of Life in Repatriation
Narratives from 62 self initiated expatriate families with children who repatriated after 10 or more years abroad provide insights into sustaining quality of life on return. Modalities for maintaining family equilibrium in the home country include open-mindedness, connectedness, sense of community and local language fluency.

Lauren Power: Expats from Low-Context Cultures in High-Context Cultures
Expat adjustment is greatly influenced by distance between host and home country cultures.   This research looks at the challenges facing expats from low context cultures (e.g. US, Europe) living in high context culture countries (e.g. Japan, Singapore).  Because adjustment is most difficult when cultural distance between home and host countries is greatest the need for integration support is heightened in these situations.

Neta Barel: Israeli Trailing Spouses: Coping with Relocation Stress
Personal, familial and career challenges of Israeli women abroad are portrayed through Facebook blogs, workshops and subsequent interviews. The session presents unique additional challenges faced by Israeli trailing spouses, including maintenance of an Israeli tribe while away from the extended family, questions around joining the Israel Defense Forces, and the complexity of being a Jewish Israeli abroad. Reporting two ongoing researches, presenting concerns and discussing effective ways of coping.

David C Pollock Scholars

Florence Chabert D'Hieres, Matilda Criel-Ewoldt, Mishell Hernandez, Saeko Mizuta, Jessica Sanfilippo-Schulz and Karen Tan

Come join this wonderful opportunity to meet the 2019 Pollock Scholar recipients and discuss their work, goals, backgrounds, networking opportunities and shared interests.  In previous years people have asked for a chance to meet them as the Pollock Scholars are obviously selected for what they can bring to the FIGT table that is missing or little addressed, and many of us are hungry to hear more.  Please join us in this Early Bird session for a heartful and fascinating discussion on what we would all like to know more about! 

Hope and Heartache in Cross Cultural Schooling: An Interactive Session for Parents and Educators

Tanya Crossman and Debbie Kramlich

Educational Consultant, Dr Debbie Kramlich, and author, Tanya Crossman, will lead a discussion on how cross cultural schooling impacts students and their families. Three potential hotspots will be addressed:cultural values, language proficiency, and family dynamics. Each will be considered with reference to different stakeholders: parents, teachers, school administration/support, and those reflecting on past experiences. Whatever your connection to education, there will be space for you to reflect on and discuss the wider impact of cross cultural schooling. Debbie and Tanya are both ATCKs and researchers who bring a range of personal and professional experiences to this discussion: Debbie is a teacher and the mom of 7 TCKs; Tanya has interviewed hundreds of TCKs and works with various international schools.