MOBILE FAMILY SUPPORT

Empowering You to Thrive

My World(s)

About Me

I am a psychologist and researcher specializing in the well-being of internationally mobile families, expatriates, and Third Culture Kids (TCKs). My work combines academic expertise, professional teaching experience, and nearly two decades of personal experience living a globally mobile life.

 

I completed my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at the University of Basel, Switzerland, where my research focused on transition-related stress and the well-being of expatriate families and children. Over the past several years, I have designed and facilitated psychoeducational courses, workshops, and parent trainings for internationally mobile and diplomatic families in collaboration with several European foreign ministries and international organizations.

 

In addition to my teaching and training mandates, I now offer individual psychological consultations and support for expatriates, accompanying partners, parents, and adult TCKs navigating the emotional and relational challenges that can arise in internationally mobile lives. My approach integrates evidence-based psychological knowledge with a deep understanding of the realities of global mobility.

 

I am also the author of Goodbye Again, a children’s book addressing farewells, grief, and transition experiences commonly faced by Third Culture Kids.

 

Having lived abroad for almost 20 years myself — including in the United States, Switzerland, Kyrgyzstan, and North Macedonia — I understand both professionally and personally the opportunities and complexities that come with building a life across cultures.

 

My goal is to help internationally mobile individuals and families strengthen resilience, navigate transitions more smoothly, and feel more supported and connected wherever life takes them.

Dr. Katja Aegerter

 

EDUCATION

  • Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Basel University, Switzerland
  • Master of Science in Psychology, Roehampton University, UK
  • PG Certificate in Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
  • CAI Online Coach, Karlsruher Institut, Germany

 

TRAININGS

  • 2023: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Worrying, Ruminating & Obsessing, Dr. Russ Harris
  • 2022: (1) Developing Psychologically Flexible Children and Adolescents, Darin Cairns; (2) ACT mit Eltern und anderen Bezugspersonen, ACT Lab Hamburg
  • 2021: (1) ACT with Parents, Lisa Coyne, Ph.D. & Evelyn Gould, Ph.D.; (2) ACT for Adolescents, Russ Harris; ACT for Grief and Loss, Russ Harris; (3) ACT for Beginners, Russ Harris

  • 2020: (1) Childhood Adversity - The Impact of Childhood Maltreatment on Mental Health, University College London, Certificate of Achievement; (2) Experiencing the Body Keeps the Score, Certificate in Trauma and Body-Based Approach, Bessel van der Kolk

My work is values-based and preventive. As a trained ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) practitioner, I use approaches that help you resist life less—and move more toward what truly matters to you.

 

I offer counseling in German, Swiss German, and English—at my practice in Bern or, if necessary, online.

Podcast Interviews

Swissinfo "Ade merci, Schweiz": Auswandern mit der Liebe - wenn eine Karriere den Weg vorgibt (Article, Podcast and Videocast in Swiss German)

 

House of Peregrine Podcast 2: You are the Table: The Overlooked Power of the Accompanying Spouse / Ep. 98

 

TCK Research Podcast (Youtube)

 

House of Peregrine Podcast 1: Moving Internationally with kids. Insider Tips and Wisdom from a serial expat and psychologist Katja Aegerter MSc / Ep. 06

Before you book a session, feel free to get to know me during a short, free phone call. Just send me a WhatsApp message or give me a call—I’ll get back to you.

When do people seek my support?

On the outside, everything seems fine — and yet internally, I feel exhausted.

 

From the outside, life may appear relatively stable. Daily responsibilities are being managed, work continues, family life functions, and everything may seem “under control.” And yet internally, there is often a growing sense of simply functioning rather than truly living.

 

Many people describe experiences such as:

  • constantly racing thoughts

  • inner restlessness

  • difficulty switching off mentally

  • emotional exhaustion

  • or a growing sense of disconnection from themselves

 

In response, people often start searching for quick solutions: becoming more disciplined, optimizing routines, improving productivity, or trying harder to “pull themselves together.” But very often, this only increases the inner pressure even more. Over time, life can begin to feel less guided by personal needs and values, and more by expectations, obligations, and constant mental effort.

 

How we might work together

In ACT approach, the goal is not simply to get rid of uncomfortable thoughts or emotions as quickly as possible.nInstead, we begin by exploring what may currently be creating so much internal strain.

 

Together, we might look at:

  • What is consuming most of your energy right now?

  • Which thoughts or emotions are you constantly struggling against internally?

  • Which personal needs have become disconnected from daily life?

  • And what truly matters to you beneath the pressure and exhaustion?

 

The modality i am using helps people develop a different relationship with stress and inner experiences.

 

This may involve:

  • learning not to treat every thought as an absolute truth

  • creating more space for difficult emotions instead of constantly fighting them

  • stepping out of automatic patterns of pressure and self-criticism

  • and reconnecting with actions that are guided more by personal values than by constant functioning

 

The aim is not to feel positive all the time. Rather, it is about developing greater clarity, psychological flexibility, and a stronger sense of connection to oneself and one’s life. Many people experience this process as a gradual shift: away from constant inner struggle — and toward living in a way that feels more intentional, meaningful, and sustainable.

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