Adjustment Disorder Therapy for Expats: A Somatic and Holistic FAQ Guide

Relocating to a new country or starting over abroad can feel like stepping into another version of yourself—one that must adapt, relearn, and renegotiate safety and belonging. For many expats, what begins as excitement eventually brings waves of loss, anxiety, or confusion. Whether you moved for a job, a relationship, or life circumstances beyond your control, adjusting to this new reality can be unexpectedly difficult.

Therapists often call this an adjustment disorder, but I also see it as a life transition—a period when your mind, body, and spirit are reorganizing in response to change. From a somatic and trauma-informed lens, this is a natural but profound process of reorientation.

This FAQ explores what adjustment disorder looks like for expats and how mindfulness, somatic awareness, and holistic therapy can help you find your footing again.

1. What is Adjustment Disorder (or Difficulty Adjusting to a Life Transition)?

Adjustment disorder refers to the emotional and physiological stress that arises when life changes feel overwhelming. According to the DSM-5, it involves emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to a significant life stressor—such as relocation, job loss, relationship change, or cultural adjustment—occurring within about three months of the event (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

For expats, this can look like:

• Persistent homesickness or longing for “home”

• Feeling lost or disconnected from your sense of self

• Heightened anxiety or sadness

• Difficulty concentrating or sleeping

• A sense that “I should be coping better than this”

Moving abroad—especially to places like the UK, Spain, or across Europe—can stir deeper layers of emotional material. Culture shock, language barriers, and the loss of familiar social rhythms can all amplify the nervous system’s stress response.

2. Why Is It So Hard to Adjust to a New Home Abroad?

Even when relocation is voluntary, it often involves multiple layers of loss and change. From a trauma-informed perspective, any significant transition can activate older imprints of separation, uncertainty, or vulnerability.

Common triggers include:

• Loss of identity: “Who am I here?”

• Role shifts: Moving for a partner’s job or leaving one’s career behind

• Social isolation: Missing close friends or family support

• Cultural mismatch: Struggling to decode new norms and unspoken rules

• Body stress: Tension, fatigue, or restlessness that mirrors emotional strain

Neuroscientist Dr. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory (2011) helps explain why relocation can feel dysregulating. Our nervous system seeks cues of safety—familiar faces, routines, and language—and when those are gone, we may unconsciously shift into fight, flight, or freeze.

Therapy helps by creating a consistent, attuned relationship where safety and grounding can return.

3. How Does a Somatic and Trauma-Informed Approach Help?

Somatic therapy recognizes that stress, grief, and adjustment aren’t just “in your head.” They’re felt in the body—tight shoulders, shallow breathing, a fluttering stomach, or a heavy chest.

Approaches such as Somatic Experiencing (Levine, 1997) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM) (Miller-Karas, 2015) support you in tracking sensations, noticing subtle shifts, and allowing the nervous system to complete unfinished stress responses.

A somatic therapist might guide you to:

• Sense where you feel tension, heaviness, or numbness in your body

• Notice the difference between contraction and relaxation

• Find “islands of safety” through breath, movement, or grounding

• Integrate moments of calm or connection to restore balance

This embodied process helps you feel more present in your body and more at home wherever you are.

4. How Can Mindfulness Support Expats and Those in Transition?

Mindfulness invites you to relate differently to your inner world rather than trying to control or escape it. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn (1990) describes mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”

For expats navigating uncertainty, mindfulness helps:

• Anchor attention when thoughts spiral (“Did I make the right choice?”)

• Build compassion for the parts of you that feel scared or lost

• Slow down the body’s stress cycle by connecting breath and awareness

• Cultivate curiosity toward your emotions rather than resistance

When integrated into therapy, mindfulness becomes a bridge between awareness and embodiment. You begin to notice how external transitions mirror internal ones—and how grounding in the present moment allows integration, not overwhelm.

5. What Makes a Holistic Approach Effective for Expats?

Holistic therapy goes beyond managing symptoms. It explores how mind, body, culture, and meaning interconnect. For expats, healing often involves rebuilding a sense of home within yourself.

This might include:

• Exploring identity and belonging across cultures

• Reconnecting to creative practices

• Integrating mindfulness, body movement, or breathwork

• Tending to lifestyle foundations: sleep, nutrition, and community

• Reflecting on how the relocation story fits into your larger life journey

As Dr. Gabor Maté (2003) writes, “When we ignore the messages of the body, we lose connection to our authentic selves.” Holistic therapy restores that connection so you can navigate life transitions with greater trust and resilience.

6. When Should You Consider Therapy for Adjustment or Relocation Stress?

You might benefit from therapy if:

• Emotional distress lasts longer than expected

• You feel stuck or disconnected from joy

• Relationships at home or abroad are strained

• Physical symptoms (like fatigue or tension) persist

• You sense that your “old coping tools” aren’t working anymore

Adjustment difficulties don’t mean something is wrong with you—they mean you’re human, and your system is seeking balance. Therapy provides a structured space to find that equilibrium again.

7. Working with Me

As a US and UK licensed psychotherapist, I specialize in helping expats across Europe—particularly in the UK, Spain, Denmark, Luxembourg,  Cyprus, Malta—navigate transitions, heal stress responses, and cultivate inner stability. My trauma-informed, somatic, and mindfulness-based approach integrates nervous system awareness, body regulation, and emotional processing so you can feel at home wherever life takes you.

Together, we’ll slow down enough to listen to what your body and emotions are communicating and support your system in finding resilience and calm.

Final Thoughts

Moving abroad changes everything: your rhythms, relationships, even your sense of self. Yet within that disruption lies the opportunity to return to a deeper home—the one within you.

If you’re struggling to adjust or simply want to feel more grounded where you are, I’d be honored to support you.
Book a consultation by clicking here to begin reconnecting with balance, confidence, and belonging.

I’m Marcelle Little, a California and Florida-licensed psychotherapist (LMFT #129593, TPMF1241) and UK-registered practitioner offering online therapy for adults in California, Florida, and select European countries. My work integrates EMDR, somatic therapy, parts work, and depth psychology to help individuals heal trauma, anxiety, and intergenerational wounds.

Specialties:

• Adjustment Disorder & Life Transitions Therapy

• Expat and Relocation Support (UK, Spain, and other parts of Europe)

• Somatic and Trauma-Informed Therapy

• Mindfulness and Holistic Integration

• US & UK Licensed Psychotherapist (Online Therapy for CA, FL, UK, EU Residents)