When we first created the concept of writing Monday Morning Emails, we were clear on one thing – that we wanted our book to be supportive, inspiring, informative and useful. We wanted our readers not simply to read our stories but we hoped to go a step further by providing the voice of authority. We are writers, we have moved many times internationally and we are mothers – yet we are not experts. With this in mind, we invited the people listed below to comment not on our specific experiences but on the topics that arose for us during the course of the six months that we wrote to each other. We discussed empty nest, identity, loss, belonging, roots, mental health, retirement options, eldercare amongst many other issues. These mentors, psychologists, counselors, consultants and veteran expats became our ‘experts’. They are listed in this order for no reason other than that it is alphabetical. Each has been equally crucial to the final publication of our book.
AMANDA GRAHAM
Amanda Graham owns and runs a private therapeutic retreat centre in South West France. She is a Psychotherapist and yoga teacher and has recently completed her MSc in Clinical Psychology. Over the past 30 years, she has counselled families, couples, teenagers and adults. She began her working career for the UK government supporting and mentoring young people in crisis. She then went on to work with vulnerable adults with mental health issues in the community, as well as those released from prison and with problems associated with addiction. Since 2000, she has worked privately with clients in many different cultures and become a yoga teacher and Ayurvedic counsellor after studying for several years in Malaysia. She strives to deliver a combination of empirically-proven psychological treatments with a natural and holistic approach to health and well-being. At Praana Wellness, she offers a place of refuge, recovery and relaxation, and her doors are open to everyone.
To find out more, visit: www.praanawellness.com
BECKY GRAPPO
Becky Grappo, MEd and Certified Educational Planner, is the founder of RNG International Educational Consultants, LLC. Using her professional background as an international educator, and personal experiences as a veteran expat and mother of three adult TCKs, she works with families around the world as they navigate the challenges of educating their children and adolescents. RNG International’s expert consultants work with all kinds of situations: from boarding school, therapeutic school, and programme placements all the way to university planning for students, and young adult programmes for those who are struggling with life’s challenges.
To find out more, visit www.rnginternational.com
LESLEY LEWIS
Lesley Lewis is a skilled psychologist offering counselling and coaching services. She has an MS in Education and Cross-Cultural Studies, an MS in Educational Psychology – with an emphasis in mental health – and over 35 years of experience as an educator, private therapist and trainer/ consultant working in Asia, Europe and North America. Lesley takes a warm, humanistic approach to counselling and she has developed methods for success that are specifically designed for expatriates and/ or in cross-cultural environments. In her coaching, she works with sojourners, expats and locals to produce desirable and effective results that are not only applicable to business, but also to personal life-balance. She also provides cross-cultural training to relocated employees from some of the largest financial and investment multinationals in the world.
To find out more, visit: http://www.laurenbramleymd.com and/ or http://culture3counsel.com/
ELLEN MAHONEY
Ellen Mahoney, MEd, is an international school alumna and TCK. She has been a teacher, counsellor and director at iMentor, a leading youth mentoring organisation in the United States recognised by President Obama and Mark Zuckerberg for its excellence and innovation. She is certified in mentoring programme supervision by Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Work. She has served on the international boards of Families in Global Transitions, I Am A Triangle and Safe Passage Across Networks. She is currently the CEO of Sea Change Mentoring, which delivers transitions-informed consulting services, programme audits, and social-emotional learning curriculum to international schools. It also provides mentoring experiences for third culture teens and emerging adults.
To find out more, visit: www.seachangementoring.com
IAN MOODY
Ian Moody has taught in a variety of schools for more than 35 years, including the past 15 years in international schools. He has been a school counsellor for 20 years, having obtained his Master’s Degree in Educational Counselling in Nebraska, USA. He has previously taught Mathematics, Physics and English as an Additional Language and has lived in Japan, USA, Australia and Singapore. He loves working in an international context and is a strong advocate for developing good working relationships in a school community. He is a father of two TCKs (Max 25 and Georgia 19, both now living in Australia.) His wife Amanda was a trailing spouse in Singapore for a year before joining The British Council and is now a director of the Professional Development Centre. Ian is currently Head of Counselling at UWCSEA Dover, Singapore.
To contact Ian, email: imo@uwcsea.edu.sg
COLLEEN REICHRATH-SMITH
Colleen Reichrath-Smith believes that knowing how to navigate career transitions is a vital life skill for today. That’s why she teaches people to navigate their own careers across occupational boundaries, international borders and changing times, in order to create a personally meaningful portable career. In 1998 Colleen started CJS Career Consulting in Canada, and in 2006 she took her career on an international adventure to the Netherlands. In 2007, by using what she teaches, she was delivering career training again, this time in Dutch. Colleen is co-author of A Career in Your Suitcase, 4th Ed., and is certified as a Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF).
To find out more, visit: www.careerinyoursuitcase.com
NELL SMITH
Nell Smith is the author of the industry-respected, motivational Retire to the Life You Love, Practical Tools for Designing Your Meaningful Future, a self-help guide for men and women that is packed with ideas, tools, examples and stories to help you plan your own fulfilling next chapter of your life in the new age of longevity. Now in her own third age, Nell’s background as a professional in the fields of career development, adult education and conscious ageing has led to her 20 plus years working as a Registered Retirement Consultant.
To find out more, visit: www.retiretothelifeyoulove.com
RUTH VAN REKEN
Ruth Van Reken is a US citizen who grew up in Nigeria as a second generation Third Culture Kid (TCK) and then raised her three daughters in Liberia. For over 30 years, Ruth has travelled extensively, speaking about issues related to global family lifestyles. Currently, she seeks to understand how lessons learned from the TCK experience apply to others raised among many cultural worlds for various reasons. Ruth is co-author of Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, 3rd ed., multiple other writings, and co-founder and past chairperson of Families in Global Transition. Ruth and her husband, David, live in Indianapolis
To find out more, visit: www.crossculturalkid.org
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