Belonging Everywhere & Nowhere: Insights into Counseling the Globally Mobile Kindle Edition

Lois Bushong has finally filled an important gap in the current literature guiding globally mobile families and in particular, the children known as `third culture kids' or TCKs. "Belonging Everywhere and Nowhere: Insights into Counseling the Globally Mobile" is a book by a therapist for therapists who treat children who too often, as her title suggests, wonder where they fit in the world.

It is an irony of the peripatetic life that in moving around the world with their parents throughout their childhood, TCKs gain an almost precocious macro global view. But it is the micro that's upsetting them: issues of identity, nationality, sense of place or `home' and more. These are the life challenges that can't be navigated as easily as some TCKs are able to travel through chaotic faraway airports making Bushong's book of even more utmost importance.

A TCK herself, Bushong deftly weaves her own experience into the narrative but her stories never detract from her mission. Each chapter offers a cheat sheet at its conclusion listing things the reader should know as well as talking points and activities. There are also numerous resources, references and appendices that demonstrate the breadth of Bushong's research and her commitment to helping her subjects.

Full disclosure: Bushong contributed a chapter and was the consulting psychologist for one of my own books, but this only makes me already well aware of her insights, empathy and common sense on this subject. We often spoke about the need for a book which a parent with a child---struggling with TCK-related challenges---could simply hand to a therapist not well-versed in TCKs and say, "Read this!" before beginning counseling. Bushong has now successfully written and published that book.

This book should be on every mental health professionals' book shelf. I have personally witnessed individuals with globally mobile life experiences struggle needlessly when well-meaning counselors or therapists have actually done more harm than good. This is the book that has been missing from this field for way too long. Kudos to Lois Bushong for the professionalism in which she has put these pages together. Sharing anonymously stories of those who have struggled with the complex issues of overseas living experiences as well as courageously interjecting her own stories, one can't help but see why this book has been so long awaited.

Lois' writing style is captivating and easy to understand. Even non-professionals can benefit from the content, stories and wisdom expressed throughout the book. I have found it very useful in my work with globally mobile families and have taken away great ideas for my workshops with students who are re-entering their home countries. I can highly recommend it for educators, parents, and others who want to know about or want to become more familiar with the unique challenges the globally mobile face and, of course for mental health professionals to understand how they can help them.

Very grateful to have been introduced to this book (by another ATCK). My lived experience is that of an ATCK, and yet I had not heard the term used before; Reverse Culture Shock yes, but not Adult Third Culture Kid. Reading the book has explained a lot! It has given my lived experience a context, vocabulary, and grounding.

Although the author recommends reading the bible of TKC, "Third Culture Kids Growing Up Among Worlds," I have preferred Belonging Everywhere & Nowhere much more. For me the former has been a much easier and accessible book. I couldn't put it down. Not so with the latter.

I highly recommend this book to fellow TCK's, ATCK's, CCK's, and the myriad of other labels given to those of us raised all over the globe, as well as those who wish to understand us (to their benefit!).

As a therapist who has spent my life working with global nomads, I could not put down Bushong's new book. This is the book that all international school counselors should use as their go to book! Lois took years of experience and her own feelings to help train the trainers around the world. I found the recount of other experts in the field very helpful. What was most beneficial was the unique drawings that Bushong included in the book "Belonging Everywhere and Nowhere."

If you are working with a global population you will find this book very helpful because it gives you the questions to ask and the reasons behind needing this information. As more and more people become global nomads, we will be finding that most counselors will need to have the skill of working with TCK's, CCK's, Nomads and etc. This is very valuable information.

I am still in the process of reading this book so may rate it higher when I finish. So far I am enjoying it from my perspective as a TCK and also as how it applies to my grandchild's life as a military child moving in this country but with parents who are constantly deployed and relating the two. .

This book is full of much-needed information for those who care about and or interact with those who grew up in multiple nations and cultures, especially TCKs and ATCKs. It is a great read for those who want to understand, minister to or counsel TCKs, ATCKs, Global Nomads etc.

As a clinical psychologist, I have long awaited a book for therapists and counselors to help them understand the specific needs of people who have grown up in different cultures. Bushong is a very experienced, and globally mobile, therapist; she writes from a sound professional basis and from the heart, too.

The challenges of this globally mobile lifestyle are not generally known in the therapeutic community. After reading this book, you'll never again NOT ask, "And tell me about where you grew up."

I am a not a therapist but began reading this book because I friend told me I should after listening to the struggles I was having. I am a TCK and have struggled for years not realizing the connection between my depression and the fact that I am a TCK. I cried reading this book because I found that I was not alone or crazy but that there were many more like me in this world with the same feelings. If you are a TCK read this book! If you are a therapist PLEASE read this book so you can better help people like me!

Nice and interesting. Needed it for my PGCEi studies and they really do give me a minimum word-count to write something here. They should be glad I take the effort in the first place WTF?

Using for my counseling work

I’m a psychotherapy student with a particular interest in Third Culture Kids. This book answered all my questions and gives real insight into how TCKs might present and what their needs might be. I’d recommend it to anyone working with this type of client.

Also interesting for TCKs who want to understand more about themselves.

For anyone who knows or is part of multiple cultures but doesn't have ownership of any of them, and knows the struggles of constantly moving. This book is a godsend and will help you make sense of yourself, read it!!

Excellent book