Moving abroad can look exciting from the outside, but major life changes often come with losses that are harder to see. Leaving behind a familiar home, community, relationships, routines, and a sense of belonging can create a complicated kind of grief alongside the excitement of building something new.

This week, Meghan is joined by Carly Cote, a hypnotherapist, breathwork facilitator and grief coach who works with expats and is also navigating life abroad herself. Their shared experience of living in different countries gives them plenty to consider about what it means to build a life somewhere new while still carrying the places and people that came before.The episode looks at the less visible side of expat life, including the emotional cost of repeated goodbyes, the intensity of relationships formed while travelling or living abroad, and the experience of being caught between cultures. There is also a wider discussion about the responsibility that comes with moving to another country, learning the local language and culture, and approaching life as an expat with respect for the community you're joining.

Grief is another central theme, particularly the way loss can resurface in unexpected places. A friendship ending, a relationship changing, returning home to find that people and places have moved on, or simply missing important moments from afar.

Meghan and Carly explore the relationship between grief, the nervous system, therapy and the work of supporting other people. Both women have personal experience of loss and have found ways to incorporate that experience into their professional work, while recognising the importance of continuing to do their own work and maintaining clear boundaries when holding space for clients.

For anyone living abroad, considering relocation, navigating expat life, travelling for extended periods, or experiencing grief alongside a major life transition, this episode offers plenty of space to think about how resilience can develop through the process.

CONNECT WITH CARLY:

Instagram & TikTok: @summithealwell

Website: summithealwell.com

WORK WITH MEGHAN: If you are interested in working with Meghan one-to-one for therapy or career coaching, you can book an introductory session here: ⁠https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/223411⁠

GUEST SUBMISSIONS: If you think you know someone who would make a great guest, email Meghan at: ⁠[email protected]⁠

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Keywords: Expat life, Expats, Expat grief, Relocation, Moving abroad, Living abroad, Immigration, Travel, Long-term travel, Tourism, Culture, Cultural differences, Local culture, Grief, Grief recovery, Loss, Letting go, Relationships, Friendship, Heartbreak, Attachment, Anxiety, Overwhelm, Stress, Mental health, Therapy, Therapist, Hypnotherapy, Breathwork, Grief coaching, Coaching, Career coaching, Wellness, Self-awareness, Emotional wellbeing, Nervous system, Resilience, Burnout, Burnout recovery, Work-life balance, Portugal, Spain, Malaga, Summer

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