Expat Coaching in Vienna

Succeeding in a special challenge

Coaching for expats and professionals from other countries

Expat Coaching is a service for professionals and their families who live and work in Vienna. Moving to another country is a big challenge and a big investment for a person, a family and an organisation.

Many international organisation s and multinational companies are located in Vienna. That is why people from all over the world live and work here, making Vienna a diverse and culturally rich place. For professionals, couples or families deciding to live and work here there are, however, a number of challenges that come with this decision.

As professionals and as a family, we have also lived and worked in other countries and can therefore talk from first experience. We know that life abroad is not always straightforward and can therefore recommend to actively tackle these challenges. We are happy to support expats and professionals, and their families, with coaching, advice and psychotherapy.

The comprehensive decision to live abroad – Mindful Moving ^TM

Families abroad have to manage the same life events and challenges every other family has to. However, there are numerous additional challenges specific to living abroad. These include for instance

the need to adapt to a different culture
involuntary career breaks
job search in a new country and in a foreign language
spouse professional accreditation
re-schooling of children
taking care of parents or grandparents who have been left behind
and sadly sometimes racism and hate.

After terminal illness and divorce is moving abroad the most stressful event in our lives. Consequently, it is possible and likely that those who are moving country or change their work environment experience high levels of stress. However, stress can also emerge in partners or children, or in family members who stay on in their home country. Because stress ‘travels’ in systems eventually everyone will be impacted to some extent.

The situation of children – Kids On the Move ^TM

Today parents who live and work abroad are often considerate what these changes mean for their children. There are reasons to expect that children, as they move countries with their families, experience even more significant and more stressful changes than their parents. That is for instance because they have seldom a say in such decisions, they cannot comprehend the reasons for decisions made nor the implications for themselves.

Furthermore, several levers that contribute to a complex and potentially difficult situation that a child may have to face. These include for instance language skills, cultural and religious differences, friends left behind and uncertainty about new friendships in a new country. Then they may experience academic difficulties, they may feel challenged too much or not enough, and have to cope with different rules and values at their new school.

We work with children and families to help them grow from the opportunities that life abroad offers them. We also understand and acknowledge what they had to give up and help to cope, mitigate and act on the difficulties they may encounter. Children and adults can face such challenges courageously, creatively and playfully, and we look forward to support them in this process.

Personal mastery – Resourceful Abroad ^TM

Being resourceful means to be able to respond, rather than react, to a variety of situations, to interact rather than be acted upon, to be in a position of agency and choice.

However, living and working in a different environment takes away many resources and possibilities that we used to enjoy in our home countries. These include family resources like grandparents, language and cultural resources, professional resources like business relationships, and many others. At the same time working and living in a different country means additional demands on us.

From our experience of working with expats and families, we recommend to actively address the challenges and build resources. Addressing the very special family situation proactively or considering professional support in relation to work thus signifies prudence, vigilance and professionalism.