Co-Founder of My Expat Mind Anna Zhadan joins the Expat Focus Podcast to talk about expat mental health. After leaving Belarus at just nine years old and making many international moves since, Anna knows first-hand the psychological toll that living abroad can take. She channelled that experience into My Expat Mind, a directory built to help expats find therapists who understand what it's really like to start over in a foreign country.

In this conversation, she and Carlie unpack the emotional side of expat life — homesickness, loneliness, identity shifts, the FOMO of watching family and friends move on without you, and how moving so often shaped Anna's independence and her sense of home. The pair then dig into the practical side of looking after your mental well-being abroad: how to find a therapist who speaks your language and gets the expat experience, why therapy is for everyday good health and not just crisis moments, and how insurance and reimbursement can vary wildly from country to country. Anna explains how My Expat Mind works as a free directory for clients, and shares a simple packing tip for making any new place feel a little more like home. If you've ever struggled with the hidden emotional challenges of living abroad — or you're considering a move and want to look after your mental health along the way — this episode is for you.

#ExpatLife #ExpatMentalHealth #MovingAbroad #ExpatTherapy #LivingAbroad #Homesickness #ExpatFocus

👉 Visit Expat Focus at https://www.expatfocus.com

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

00:55 Anna's First Big Move

02:37 Defining Home Abroad

05:08 Challenges of Frequent Moves

06:45 Friendships Across Borders

10:06 How My Expat Mind Began

12:06 Common Expat Mental Struggles

13:52 Finding the Right Therapist

16:03 Why Therapy Helps

20:39 Insurance and Reimbursement

21:59 Packing Tip for Feeling at Home

23:17 Where to Find My Expat Mind

23:56 Final Thoughts and Outro

🎥 Video/Transcript – https://www.expatfocus.com/international/podcast/looking-after-your-mental-health-while-living-abroad

📝 Show Notes

My Expat Mind – https://myexpatmind.com/

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Victoria Pearce, the writer behind A Life Away, joins the Expat Focus Podcast to talk about moving abroad after 40. Victoria has lived in the UK twice — once as a young grad student, and again in her 40s with a husband and an 11-year-old in tow. Her story unpacks what it really looks like to uproot a settled life, swap a legal career for a writing one, and rebuild from scratch on the other side of the Atlantic.

Victoria is candid about the cons of relocating in your 40s — selling the house, losing the easy school-gate friendships, rebuilding a settled life from very little — and equally honest about the upsides, including the career confidence that makes a midlife move surprisingly workable. She also discusses the practical side: moving an 11-year-old into the UK secondary school system, navigating GCSEs as an American parent, pivoting from practising attorney to content writer, the strange double life of being an American abroad in a politically turbulent moment, citizenship plans, and the pull of ageing parents back home.

If you're weighing up a move abroad later in life, supporting a child through an international relocation, or rethinking your career as a trailing spouse, this conversation offers a grounded look at what to expect on the other side.

#ExpatLife #LivingInTheUK #MoveToTheUK #USToUK #ExpatOver40 #TrailingSpouse

👉 Visit Expat Focus at https://www.expatfocus.com

00:00 Introducing Victoria 00:34 Why Move Abroad After 40

01:05 Victoria's First UK Move

02:35 Returning Abroad Post Covid

05:09 Cons of Moving in Your 40s

07:45 Confidence and Career

09:21 Decluttering and Moving Logistics

11:48 Moving an 11 Year Old

14:33 Navigating UK School Culture

18:24 Trailing Spouse Career Pivot

21:44 Politics, Identity and Home

27:02 Citizenship and Belonging

28:02 What to Change and What to Love

32:06 Wrap Up

🎥 Video/Transcript – https://www.expatfocus.com/united-kingdom/podcast/an-american-in-the-uk-the-honest-truth-about-moving-abroad-in-your-40s

📝 Show Notes

A Life Away – https://alifeaway.com/

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Yolanda Reshemah, host of The Places We Call Home Podcast, joins the Expat Focus Podcast to talk about building authentic community when you move abroad. Yolanda's expat journey began at just 10 years old when she moved from the Caribbean to the UK, and she's since lived in France and the USA. She shares how each move shaped her identity — from discovering Parisian culture to navigating reverse culture shock — and why feeling at home starts with knowing yourself.

Carlie and Yolanda dig into why shared expat status isn't enough to build lasting friendships, and how Yolanda sought deeper connections through volunteering, classes at Berkeley, and being intentional about what she needs. They also swap stories about cultural quirks in the US, from California's yoga-outfit uniform to the phenomenon of "flaking," and discuss what it really means to thrive rather than just settle in a new country.

#ExpatLife #ExpatCommunity #MovingAbroad #LivingInUSA #BuildingCommunity

👉 Visit Expat Focus at https://www.expatfocus.com

00:00 Yolanda's Expat Journey

01:25 Caribbean to UK at 10

02:42 Finding Parisian Community

04:13 Reverse Culture Shock

04:41 Tourist to Local Mindset

05:43 How Early Moves Shape You

08:09 Lessons on Slowing Down

09:41 Starting Her Podcast

12:23 A Process for Belonging

13:47 What Feeds and Anchors You

18:39 Building Lasting Friendships

22:15 Beyond Expat Friend Groups

24:48 US Culture Quirks

29:32 Where Home Is Next

31:19 Find Yolanda Online

32:36 Final Thoughts

🎥 Video/Transcript – https://www.expatfocus.com/international/podcast/the-secret-to-expat-happiness-building-friendships-abroad

📝 Show Notes

The Places We Call Home Podcast – https://theplaceswecallhome.com/

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