Christine Forte

During the current health crisis, the greatest psychological challenge facing our clients is that of the fears triggered by uncertainty. Uncertainty about how many of us will remain healthy, how long the limitations on our lives will last, what the full scope of the economic implications will be, how we will feel safe again even after we have been told the danger has passed.

We are living in extraordinary times. For the first time in modern history our world is experiencing a global pandemic and all that it implies for changes in our way of life. How drastic it will be is not yet known.

With a whole new crop of American students heading off on international study experiences this August and September, it’s the role of the counselors working with them (not just at universities but also in agencies or private practice) to help them feel prepared for this experience. This came to my attention when I recently gave a presentation to American undergraduates about adjusting to life in China. They had just arrived here and while some had been to China before and spoke a bit of Chinese, I realized there was quite a bit that they weren’t aware of regarding how to have a positive study abroad experience.

Elle had worked for 15 years in various capacities of human resources. Most recently she had been a recruiter for a medium-sized staffing firm. She loved this work, found it very satisfying to understand each candidate’s profile and then try to match them in a job that would be a good fit. She felt very fortunate to have found this role as she’d taken a break relatively early in her career to have three children.

Recently as I sat on a bus headed out of Shanghai and into the Chinese countryside, I found myself contemplating the effect that our surroundings have on our state of mind. Slowly large buildings gave way to smaller buildings and then finally to fields, houses and the occasional factory. I can't say it's as idyllic as it may sound - anyone who's been just outside a Chinese city can attest that it's not all green grass and flowers.