Mental Health Resources
for Cross Cultural Workers
This page is a set of resources with basic mental health principles and links. They are designed to be relevant across a broad audience but will be limited as each individual's experience, cultural background and language is unique. None of the resources or statements here are intended to substitute for an assessment from a mental health professional.
How Can I Find Help?
Here are mental health resources for how to help yourself or those you care about.
Shop Talk Podcast
Brandi and James explore the "shop talk" of those engaging in cross cultural living and work. Having lived and worked cross culturally they will draw from their own experiences and interview others along the way.. You can find "Shop Talk with Brandi and James" on Apple or Spotify (also amazon and google play).
Specific Topics
Care for my Family:
Family Transition Workbook: This is a highly curated page of activities with instructions, examples and demonstrations to help families prepare for a transition.
Family Retreat Ideas: This is a curated set of activities that families can do for fun, connecting and spiritual formation.
Family Preparedness in Risky Areas: This set of activities is divided into age and frequency so families can be prepared for the consequences of living in risky places.
Post-Crisis Tools: Other resources specifically on this topic for families.
SIL Third Culture Kids, Care and Education Help Guide. The "How to Help Guide" From the TC & E Department.
Helping your kids, teens and family through social isolation - Caring for teenagers (or maybe those young adults suddenly back home).
Anxiety during crisis
Guide to Anxiety; Managing our Internal World - a practical strategy for managing our thoughts to lower anxiety related to COVID-19.
Media Exposure and Anxiety - Tips from the Headington Institute for dealing with the overwhelming news stream.
Anxiety - This infosheet provides information on anxiety symptoms, tips on managing anxiety, and signposts to further support.
Managing Stress and Burnout
Stress and Burnout - Resources from the Headington Institute. Start with their "How stressed are you?" assessment to see where you are now.
If you are concerned about stress levels, for yourself or others, visit the Seeking Help page in this Guide.
Resources for Managers and Leaders
How to manage Healthy Teams - A Presentation with basic principles, assessments and strategies to have a healthy team.
Psychological Safety Quiz: A test to see how safe your team feels about the freedom to participate and engage with each other
Team Assessment: Patrick Lencioni's assessment is based on his 5 dysfunctions of a team.
Dare To Lead Resources: Downloaded assessments, study guides and resources to go alongside Brene Brown's book Dare to Lead.
Peace Pursuits: A quick start guide for navigating conflict. Warning - it takes time!
Grief and Loss
Change involves loss, and loss needs to be grieved. Give yourself permission to grieve in whatever way is best for you.
Lament: A simple guide at how to create your own lament.
Grief Resource Folder - from SIL Care and Wellbeing.
Faith Nurture Network -Tips for helping children process grief and loss.
Depression and Shame
Depression Guide - An overview of depression, its signs and symptoms and practical steps to combat it. For some people, the added losses, isolation and unavailability of normal stress relievers because of COVID-19 may trigger depression.
Honor and Shame In COVID-19 - People in different cultures are responding to the physical and mental health issues from COVID-19 in different ways
Everyone has their own 'hard' right now. Listening well to each other helps us get through.
Additional Tools and Resources
Links, Tools, and Resources
Sentwell Resources - A Holistic Care Center in Malaga, Spain and their curated resources page.
Seminars (live or virtual) by James Covey
Healing The Wounds of Trauma Resources
Beyond Disaster Folder - Trauma Healing Institute response material, designed to be used as a self-guided or to go through with a friend or group after a crisis or disaster. Available in French, Spanish, or English and can be used in person or online.
Unstuck - A Teen Guide to Troubled Times: An interactive story for teens to go through during or after a crisis.
Peace Be Still; A Kid's Guide to Crazy Days - A Disaster Response Curriculum for families to go through together.
Healthy Practices in Hard Times
Every part of us is affected in a crisis. Caring for ourselves and others calls for paying attention to our bodies, our minds, and our souls. Even if you don't feel particularly stressed now, establishing healthy practices may be protective as the crisis continues. Here are some resources to choose from:
Healthy Isolation - More tips for living healthily during isolation.
Returning Well: - A series of debriefing questions you can complete altogether or just the parts that stand out to you. You can do it alone or with a good listener.
The Living Seeds Project: A nine-month experience of reflection and action to nurture the life that God has planted within you
How Do I Know What Is Normal? (am I in crisis?)
Normal Response to Crisis (or "It's okay to not be okay.")
Navigating a time of crisis changes every part of us - our behavior, emotions, thoughts and our spiritual life. While our reactions may surprise us, they may not be abnormal, given the situation. We may be experiencing a normal response to a crisis and in time, find that things resolve on their own.
There are many types of Crisis; Evacuations, war or global pandemic are some examples. It is wise to pay attention to our reactions during this time. If the symptoms we're experiencing don't subside or they worsen, more help may be needed.
Click here for common and normal immediate responses:
If these persist for a long time, worsen over time, or overwhelm your ability to live well, you may want to seek additional help.
Behavioral: Change in your sleeping or eating patterns, hyper-alertness, use of substances
Emotional: Anxiety/fear over your health or a loved one’s health, guilt for leaving field location, numb from being overwhelmed
Physical: Headaches, stomach problems, low energy, fatigue, and/or worsening of chronic health problems
Interpersonal: Heightened frustration and irritation, withdrawal from human connections, hypersensitivity, inappropriate sharing (i.e. "over-sharing") of experiences and thoughts
Cognitive: Difficulty concentrating and making decisions, spaciness (brain fog), confusion.
Work: Less productivity in your work, transition to a different location making work more difficult, over-engaged in work or finding it difficult to focus
Go to this page for a more in-depth list of common reactions to a crisis or trauma
Sometimes it is hard to know when and where to refer a staff member or colleague for help. Here is a simple guide for what to do when you are concerned about the wellbeing of a colleague (or yourself).
This page is curated and/or created by James Covey, MA, LPC-S
