Family Therapy for Expats and International Families
For families of any constellation 🏳️🌈
When you’re raising a family between cultures, the usual advice doesn’t quite fit. We understand that — because we live it too.
Moving countries asks a lot of a family. Parents juggle careers, visas, and a new language while trying to keep everyone steady. Children land in unfamiliar schools and switch between cultures at the dinner table and the classroom. Teenagers navigate belonging in a place that doesn’t yet feel like home. And couples carry all of it at once, often far from the grandparents, friends, and routines that used to hold them up.
At PsyShrink, our family therapy is delivered by experienced specialists in our network who work with expat and international families — in English, in Munich or online worldwide. If the strain is starting to show, you don’t have to wait for it to get worse.
Book a Free 15-Min Consultation →
Who family therapy is for
Families come to us at very different moments. You might recognise your own situation here.
Parents and children together. When communication has broken down, when there’s constant conflict, or when something has shifted and you can’t quite name it — sitting down together with a skilled therapist can change the whole dynamic.
Co-parenting and parenting support. Sometimes the work is mostly with the parents: getting on the same page, repairing after a hard season, or learning to parent as a team across two cultures and two sets of expectations about how a family “should” work.
Teenagers and third-culture kids. Children who grow up between cultures carry a particular kind of complexity. They may feel fully at home nowhere, or be quietly managing an identity their parents never had to. This is an area our founder Cynthia Kunze specialises in personally — supporting teenagers living the third-culture experience, and helping parents understand what their kids are navigating.
Families stretched across countries. Relocation, long-distance grandparents, a parent who travels constantly, or siblings in different places — distance shapes a family, and therapy can help you stay connected through it.
Why expat families choose PsyShrink
We understand international life because we live it. Cultural adjustment, identity shifts, the loss of an old support network, the particular loneliness of building a family far from where you started — these aren’t abstract concepts to us.
Therapy in genuine English. Your family won’t be translating its feelings. Sessions happen in fluent, native-level English so everyone can say what they actually mean.
In Munich or anywhere online. Meet in person in Munich, or work entirely online — useful when family members are in different cities, travelling, or simply more comfortable at home.
Properly qualified. Our therapists practise under the German Heilpraktikergesetz. We can work with private German insurance and provide superbills for US out-of-network reimbursement.
Learn how US insurance works for therapy in Germany →
What to expect
Family therapy usually begins with a conversation about what’s happening and who needs to be in the room. Not every session involves the whole family — sometimes the most useful work happens with the parents, or with one child, before bringing everyone together.
The goal isn’t to assign blame or decide who’s “the problem.” It’s to understand the patterns the whole family has fallen into, and to find new ways of relating that actually fit your life — across cultures, across distance, across the particular pressures of building a family abroad.
Frequently asked questions
Does the whole family have to attend? No. We work with whatever configuration makes sense — the full family, just the parents, or one child at a time. Your therapist will help you decide who should be in each session.
What ages do you work with? From younger children through teenagers and adult family members. The approach is adapted to the ages and needs of the people involved, and we have particular expertise in supporting teenagers.
Can we do this online? Yes. Many international families work with us entirely online, which is often the only practical option when members are in different places.
Is it available in English? Yes — sessions are in fluent, native-level English. If your family also uses other languages, mention it during your consultation and we’ll factor it in.
Can we use insurance? Possibly. Clients with private German insurance may be able to claim, and we provide superbills for US out-of-network reimbursement. The five-minute insurance check on our US insurance page will tell you where you stand.
Start with a free consultation
The first step is a free 15-minute conversation. We’ll talk through what your family is facing, match you with the right therapist, and help you decide how to begin — no pressure, no commitment.
Which issues are commonly addressed in Family Therapy?
While there are certainly other issues that are addressed in therapy. The list below depicts some of the most common problems clients seeking family therapy experience:
- Parenting Issues
- Adjustment / Behavioral Problems
- Poor Communication
- School Problems
- Divorce / Separation
- Constant Fighting
How to book a session?
Sessions for family therapy are approx. 80 mins and typically held once or twice a month. To book in for a session, you can contact us via email or book an appointment directly through our online bookings calendar.