Where are you from?

We ask this all the time in normal conversations, right? For us, it’s pretty easy to answer. We’re from Indiana, but we live abroad now. In fact, we have roots generations deep in a small community, and most of our family is in a 2 hour radius from that one spot. I don’t think I realized how unique that was until moving abroad. The fact Nick and I were from the same small town and knew each other growing up… most people in our sphere now can hardly imagine that! All that to say, it’s pretty easy for us to say where we’re from. There’s an identity in that shaping us even now as we experience life in a new culture that looks very different from our old one.

But for many, particularly kids who grow up overseas when their parents have a different home culture, that question gets harder.

Third Culture Kids is a term for kids who’ve grown up among worlds, navigating a different set of experiences and realities than their parents had. And we’re privileged to get to know a number of them in our community and through the Counseling Center we’re at.

We thought you might enjoy this short video to get a sense of how some young adult TCKs share their experience.

Often entire families will come for counseling at our international counseling center. Kids will do play therapy, teens will talk to a different therapist and the parents might get marital counseling all in the same two weeks. Summers are prime times for larger families too, since kids are out of school. This summer is no exception and we’re seeing more and more TCKs in and out of the office, navigating a range of unique questions and spaces as they grow up.

We’re thrilled to have the space – and the experts on the team – with experience counseling kids (from ages 3+) so ENTIRE FAMILIES can thrive in their home life and their ministry.