Page 77 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 8
P. 77
Christian Psychology alive
Lois J. Bushong (USA)
Comment to Lois J. Bushong,
Licensed
M.S.,
“Treating Missionary Marriage and Fa-
Therapist,
mily
Kids with Psychological Author of “Be-
Challenges” longing Every-
where & Nowhe-
re: Insights into
Counseling the
I read Dr. Katabua’s article with strong interest, Globally Mobile”.
as I counsel TCKs, MKs and expatriates on a re- In private prac-
gular basis in my private practice. I am also an tice at Quiet Streams Counseling in
adult missionary kid. I applaud the good work Fishers, Indiana. United States
of therapists, such as Dr. Katabua, for their look
at the differences between counseling those who
have lived most of their years in other countries friendships as other children were only in
with those who have not lived for a significant the hotel for a limited time. His only true
amount of time abroad. To look at the systems friend in one country was their limousine
in which the client was raised or currently lives driver. He did not make friends at school as
is such an important part of our counseling and he was home schooled due to their frequent
our diagnosis. I have frequently heard stories of moves.
TCKs who were misdiagnosed with heavy labels
such as schizophrenia, personality disorders, or • I agree that if the MK attends the local
abuse because their history or system was not school, they will miss out on the programs
taken into account. I commend Dr. Katabua on offered by many international schools that
her fine article on how to look at the whole cli- prepare the child for re entry back to their
ent and their family system. I would like to add parent’s community. This is one of the nega-
my own reflective comments to her article. tive points resulting from attending a local
school. It is a gap where the parents can step
• I would disagree with her statement that in and prepare the child for re entry. The-
MKs move around more than the average re are many excellent books on the market
TCK. I believe the average MK does not that help prepare children for transitions.
experience multiple losses or moves to a Many of these books have good discussion
greater extent over other TCKs. Some sec- questions for the parents or therapist to use
tors move more frequently than the typical with children. Even though the trend in
MK. For example, most missionaries serve some agencies and countries is to attend a
their entire career in just one country. Alt- local school, most MKs do not attend local
hough they may move around within that schools. If they are not home schooled they
country, they are often reassigned to the attend excellent Christian or secular schools
same country. In some sectors such as the in country. There are day schools such as
diplomatic community, the policy is to Christian Academy in Japan, International
move to a different country, which could Christian School of Hong Kong, and Ca-
be on the other side of the world, every two rachipampa in Bolivia which have excel-
years. I recently worked with a young teen, lent reentry programs for all grades. There
whose father was in the diplomatic commu- are a number of boarding schools such as
nity. They moved every two years or less. Rift Valley Academy in Kenya, Black Forest
They never lived long enough in one place Academy in Germany, Morrison Academy
to rent a home or an apartment. He was rai- in Taiwan that offer excellent reentry pro-
sed in hotel suites. He had few childhood grams. I have become aware of the explosi-
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