Third Culture Therapy: mental health through a cultural lens

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How does childhood in one country shape adulthood in another - particularly when the values and cultures of those countries seem in total opposition?

Karina Carter was born and raised amongst the wreckage of a fallen Soviet Union, before moving to the Netherlands as a teen.

Raised by a single mother in the house of a grandmother who had taken her own life, Karina describes the world she was born into as one of violence and loss.

Together, we retrace the paths of her early life, from Russian ‘soulfulness’ to Dutch ‘sobriety’, and untangle the traumas and nostalgias that form her memory of it. We discuss the idea of ‘unlearning’, and examine how collective wounds can often mask individual ones.  

\To not miss a single episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on our youtube and instagram, and if you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our Patreon here.

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Host Layla Maghribi shares her musings on the episode with a round-up what Bhanu shared about growing up between cultures and not completely fitting in either 'back home' or in one's adopted home.

Layla also questions what societal 'norms' really are and where they come from with a look at how many of our contemporary beliefs or views, including about homosexuality, come from colonial laws or foreign oppression that don't always reflect honestly on local culture.

Like Bhanu said, it is time to decolonise our minds...

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How does growing up in different cultures shape your sense of belonging?

What happens when you feel caught between identities in both your home and adopted countries?

In this episode, Bhanu Bhatnagar, a true Third Culture Kid, shares his unique journey. Born in Sweden to Indian parents and raised between Stockholm and Delhi, Bhanu now leads press and media relations for the World Health Organization's regional office for Europe.

Together, we discuss the challenges of being a "brown kid in Sweden," but also feeling like a foreigner in India, as well as what it means to be "Indian enough." Bhanu also shares how a chance encounter with yoga—introduced to him by a white woman—became a lifesaver as he navigated the trauma of coming out as a gay man to his parents.

To not miss a single episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on our youtube and instagram, and if you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our Patreon here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**PART TWO**

How does the journey from trauma to healing shape one’s identity?

What role can ancient practices play in modern mental health recovery?

In this two-part episode, we meet Louisa, an Iraqi Ayahuasca shaman and healer who trained in the Amazon jungle of Peru. After fleeing Baghdad during the Gulf War and seeking asylum in the Netherlands, Louisa faced years of trauma, anxiety, and PTSD that deeply affected her mental health.

Together, we discuss her struggles with addiction to cannabis, initially a means of self-soothing, and how she discovered that Ayahuasca was the key to addressing her unresolved pain. Louisa shares her transformative experiences with this ancient plant medicine, which has gained recognition in the West for its healing properties.

After her own healing journey, Louisa underwent an intense two-year training process in Peru to become a shaman, and she has been leading ceremonies for several years.

To not miss a single episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on our youtube and instagram, and if you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our Patreon here.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO READ:

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew made of two components - Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis. When combined, these two plants form a powerful psychedelic brew that affects the central nervous system, leading to an altered state of consciousness that can include hallucinations, out-of-body experiences, and euphoria.

It’s strongly recommended that Ayahuasca only be taken when supervised by an experienced shaman, as the brew can lead to an altered state of consciousness that lasts for many hours and those who take it need to be looked after carefully.

Taking Ayahuasca can result in serious side effects, as it can interact with many medications and may worsen some medical conditions. Those with medical conditions should not seek symptom relief by participating in an Ayahuasca ceremony.

If you’re interested in participating in an Ayahuasca experience, be sure to do your research thoroughly and speak to experienced shamans. Louisa has a list of important questions to ask before you consider joining a ceremony.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**PART ONE**

How does the journey from trauma to healing shape one’s identity?

What role can ancient practices play in modern mental health recovery?

In this two-part episode, we meet Louisa, an Iraqi Ayahuasca shaman and healer who trained in the Amazon jungle of Peru. After fleeing Baghdad during the Gulf War and seeking asylum in the Netherlands, Louisa faced years of trauma, anxiety, and PTSD that deeply affected her mental health.

Together, we discuss her struggles with addiction to cannabis, initially a means of self-soothing, and how she discovered that Ayahuasca was the key to addressing her unresolved pain. Louisa shares her transformative experiences with this ancient plant medicine, which has gained recognition in the West for its healing properties.

After her own healing journey, Louisa underwent an intense two-year training process in Peru to become a shaman, and she has been leading ceremonies for several years.

To not miss a single episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on our youtube and instagram, and if you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our Patreon here.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO READ:

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew made of two components - Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis. When combined, these two plants form a powerful psychedelic brew that affects the central nervous system, leading to an altered state of consciousness that can include hallucinations, out-of-body experiences, and euphoria.

It’s strongly recommended that Ayahuasca only be taken when supervised by an experienced shaman, as the brew can lead to an altered state of consciousness that lasts for many hours and those who take it need to be looked after carefully.

Taking Ayahuasca can result in serious side effects, as it can interact with many medications and may worsen some medical conditions. Those with medical conditions should not seek symptom relief by participating in an Ayahuasca ceremony.

If you’re interested in participating in an Ayahuasca experience, be sure to do your research thoroughly and speak to experienced shamans. Louisa has a list of important questions to ask before you consider joining a ceremony.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does growing up between cultures shape our understanding of grief and healing?

In what ways can personal trauma connect to broader societal challenges?

In this episode, we chat with Jihad, a British-Lebanese multimedia producer who navigated life between Sierra Leone and the UK. He opens up about the profound grief and depression he faced after losing his mother to cancer, and how therapy became a crucial tool for overcoming the PTSD that followed.

Jihad reflects on surviving Lebanon's many tragedies and how being surrounded by a distressed population offered him a unique perspective on grief, describing it as a kind of “national group therapy.” He also shares his experiences of living as an openly gay man in a culturally conservative environment, viewing this as a powerful form of activism.

Together, we explore how the wounds from childhood bullying related to his sexuality continue to affect him as an adult, and the importance of addressing these scars through therapy.

To not miss a single episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on our youtube and instagram, and if you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our Patreon here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.