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?

My life is changing — and I’m not quite sure how to deal with it.

 

Change is a natural part of life — and yet it can deeply unsettle us emotionally.

 

Sometimes these are changes we had actually hoped for: becoming a parent, starting a new job, moving to a new place, beginning a new chapter.

 

And sometimes they are changes we would never have chosen: separation or divorce, losing an important role, health-related changes or the realization that the life we built no longer feels fully aligned with who we are

 

Even when these transitions appear “normal” from the outside, many people internally experience:

  • uncertainty

  • overwhelm

  • grief

  • disorientation

  • or the feeling that they no longer fully understand themselves

 

What often makes these situations even harder is the attempt to get rid of these feelings as quickly as possible.

 

Many people begin to:

  • overanalyze their emotions

  • search for certainty

  • endlessly rethink decisions

  • or criticize themselves for struggling at all

 

But life transitions often require us to let go of what is familiar before we know exactly what comes next. And that uncertainty can feel deeply uncomfortable.

 

How we might work together

The ACT-approach is based on the understanding that difficult thoughts and emotions are a normal part of being human — especially during times of change. The goal is therefore not to eliminate uncertainty completely.

 

Instead, we work on developing greater psychological flexibility:

  • learning to relate differently to difficult thoughts and emotions

  • becoming less dominated by worry, self-doubt, or inner pressure

  • and reconnecting with the ability to move forward even when life feels uncertain

 

Together, we might explore:

  • Which thoughts keep showing up again and again?

  • Which internal struggles are consuming the most energy?

  • Which old roles or expectations may no longer fit?

  • And what values do you want this next phase of life to reflect?

 

Over time, this often creates more clarity. Not necessarily because all the answers suddenly appear — but because people learn to stay connected to themselves even in the presence of uncertainty. My approach can help people experience change not only as loss or threat, but also as an opportunity to live more consciously and in greater alignment with what truly matters to them.

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