"What Cross-Cultural Workers Ought to Know" Articles

• Adolescence: This article is what parents need to know about adolescence since the Bible does not mention adolescence (which was not invented yet).
• Aging Parents: Caring for aging parents is difficult when you live at "home," but it is even worse when living out of the country. Here are some suggestions.
• Anger: Is anger sinful? What do we do with anger? This article gives some guidelines for managing this troubling emotion.
• Anxiety:  Everyone becomes anxious at times. This article explores what causes anxiety, what the Bible says about it, and what you can do about it.
• Books: This annotated bibliography evaluates a dozen or so reasonably-priced books useful to people living and working cross-culturally.
• Burnout: Anyone can burn out, but the stress of living in another culture may make it even more likely. This article gives tips on avoiding this cause of leaving.
• Children's Adjustment: Many times Cross Cultural Workers need to remind themselves of the special needs of their children as they make adjustments to living in a different culture. This article gives suggestions and ideas for helping understand our children's needs.
• Conflict: Since everyone working with others experiences conflict, this article looks at ways of avoiding and resolving such conflict.
• Coping with Change: Life is rarely totally predictable. Change happens, and how we respond to it can make a huge difference in our lives. This article examines the dynamics of change and gives some tips for coping in a healthy way.
• Counseling: Talking with a counselor does not mean you are mentally ill, only that you want to be a better person. Here are some tips about finding a counselor.
• Culture Stress: Culture shock is widely discussed, but what about the constant stress that remains when the shock is over. Here are some suggestions for action.
• Debriefing: People returning "home" benefit from debriefing even if nothing traumatic happened. This article gives some ways to go about your debrief.
• Depression: Everyone feels sad at times, but what if the sadness does not go away? This article answers questions about depression and what you can do.
• Each Other: Generational differences cause difficulties when people work together. This article considers differences and offers suggestions for harmony.
• Expectations: Living in another culture is not what you thought it would be. This article looks at the effects of expectations and how to set realistic ones.
• Forgiveness: Why is it so hard to ask (or give) forgiveness? What if you can’t forget—or still don’t like the other person? Here are some answers.
• Grief: You may think of grief as what occurs when a loved one dies. However, people working in other cultures constantly grieve losses with each transition.
• Guilt: This article discusses the differences between being guilty and feeling guilty as well as how to deal with each.
• Happiness, Comparison and Envy: The cycle of comparing ourselves with others and feeling unhappy because of that comparison is as old as humanity. This article looks at this issue and offers some ideas to help deal with it positively.
• Healing of Memories: Life often brings very painful experiences, and the memories of those experiences often hinder us. This article looks at the topic of "The Healing of Memories" and examines some of the steps that can lead to the experience of that healing.
• Leadership: Nehemiah was one of the greatest leaders of all time. Here is the "who, what, when, why, and how" of his leadership.
• Loneliness:  Loneliness can be a great challenge for the people working cross culturally. This article examines some of the reasons for this, and offers some ideas on handing it in a healthy way.    New!
• Member Care: This article gives suggestions for getting help from your organization and from other people while working cross-culturally.
• Managing Money:  Few things can cause as much conflict on a team is differences in approach to money management. This article examines the issue and suggests some ways to discuss and manage personal and organizational funds.
• Mental Health: To maintain health don’t prioritize your schedule, schedule your priorities. Here are top priorities in life for mental and physical health.
• Psych Testing: Organizations often require psychological tests before sending people to other cultures. This article discusses some tests and consequences.
• Reconciliation: Forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same. Here are some steps you can take toward restoring relationships.
• Reentry: Returning "home" can be more difficult than leaving. This article presents ways to finish well when you leave and enter well back home.
• Relationships: One of the primary reasons people leave early is the problem of getting along with others. Here are some suggestions for lasting friendships.
• Retirement: While working cross-culturally people may not think about what it will be like to retire. This article raises issues that need to be considered.
• Saying Bye: People working in another culture say many goodbyes as they travel back and forth. Here are some suggestions for such interrupted relationships.
• Separation: Couples living overseas often find themselves separated. This article looks at common reactions to this and suggests ways to cope.
• Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse happens at home, at school, and with others in the organization. Here are some signs of such abuse and suggested actions to take.
• Sexual Purity: People living in other cultures may experience greater sexual temptation, so here are some suggestions for maintaining purity.
• Sexual Stress: Living in other cultures puts an added strain on marriage relationships. This article looks at these strains and gives suggestions for coping.
• Suffering:  An all-to-common part of human life is suffering.  And, dealing with it is often difficult. This article examines suffering and offers some helpful ideas on perspective as well as practical steps for those who are suffering.  New!
• Suicide: We may have friends that say that they are considering taking their own lives, or perhaps you have considered it. This article looks at the difficult topic of suicide, examines some common myths, and offers some guidance on helping others and yourself.  New!
• TCK Books: This annotated bibliography evaluates a dozen or so reasonably priced books for and about children and teenagers growing up cross-culturally.
• Trauma: As the world becomes increasingly violent more cross-cultural workers may find themselves in traumatic situations. Here are debriefing suggestions.

  Also, visit the "Stewardship of Self for Cross Cultural Workers" series page.  

return to the top of this page

home |  what cross cultural workers ought to know series  |  stewardship of self series |  ebooks  |  links  | about us

Mental Health Resources for Cross Cultural Workers
Ron and Bonnie Koteskey, 122 Lowry Lane, Wilmore, Kentucky  40390, USA   Phone: 859-858-3436
ron@crossculturalworkers.com   bonnie@crossculturalworkers.com