"5 Cross-Cultural Mistakes Therapists and Coaches Make"
| It's Complicated

Coaching and therapy are often highly Westernized, shaped by cultural assumptions about independence, emotional openness, direct communication, trust, vulnerability, boundaries, and what personal growth or “progress” should look like. When practitioners work with international and cross-cultural clients, those assumptions can easily be mistaken for universal truths.

In my featured article for It’s Complicated, I explore five common cross-cultural mistakes therapists and coaches can make when working with international clients, and why culturally informed coaching and therapeutic practice require us to examine our own cultural lens, not only learn about someone else’s.

Drawing on my experience living and working across cultures and coaching clients from 35+ countries, I explore how our own idea of “normal” can quietly influence the way we interpret communication, vulnerability, relationships, hierarchy, trust, boundaries, and growth.

I’m also part of the It’s Complicated international practitioner network as a Leadership & Somatic Coach. You can read the full article on cross-cultural therapy and coaching. A significant part of my work focuses on supporting expats, global leaders, and internationally mobile professionals navigating personal and professional transitions abroad, including cultural adaptation, identity shifts, cross-cultural communication, career transitions, leadership challenges, and decision-making in unfamiliar environments.

If you are currently navigating life or work abroad and would like personalized support, you can learn more about my coaching and mentoring work or book a discovery conversation.

For more on cross-cultural communication, building a career abroad, cultural adaptation, and the expat experience, explore:

• Why Living Abroad Feels So Hard (Even When Everything Is “Fine”)

• The Hidden Challenges of Living Abroad: Expat Identity, Culture, and Adaptation

• Moving Abroad for Work? 5 Cross-Cultural Communication Mistakes to Avoid

• What Is Cross-Cultural Leadership? Why Culture Matters More Than Most Leaders Realize