Product Description

A Portable Identity, revised and updated edition, is written by two former expatriate spouses who are also counselors. The book educates and empowers expatriate spouses to take charge of the changes in identity that occur during an international relocation. The most profound change a woman will experience when she moves overseas in support of her husband’s career comes from within herself, to her own sense of identity. With two, three, or more years of an overseas assignment, a woman faces the formidable task of creating a life for herself in an unfamiliar country. Unlike any other book about overseas living, this book explains with clarity, candor and compassion, how each stage of the move affects a woman’s identity.

A Portable Identity is an interactive book with practical exercises and inspiring stories. It is designed to be a companion and guide for the woman who wants to know how her identity is affected at each stage of the move, from pre-departure to arrival, and while living overseas. The book also explains why the thoughts and feelings she may experience as an expatriate spouse are normal within the context of so much change, and how she can use the steps of The Wheel to shape her identity in a way that honors her sense of self while living in a foreign country and culture, as well as during repatriation.

A Portable Identity is essential reading for military, corporate, non-governmental organization, missionary, and foreign service spouses. By learning how to take charge of change, a spouse can make choices for a happier and more meaningful life overseas. The result is a more successful transition to life abroad and a more "portable" identity that can thrive away from home.

A Portable Identity is also a valuable resource for professionals, including human resource managers, international relocation specialists, employee assistance professionals and therapists. The book provides them with critical information that they can utilize to better assist the accompanying spouse during an international move.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #422502 in Books
• Published on: 2005-08-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 268 pages

Valerie Scane, Editor of Families in Global Transition’s Website, Writer and Speaker of Expatriate Issues
"…A Portable Identity goes to the heart of the dilemma women face once abroad."

Robin Pascoe, The Expat Expert, Author of Four Best-Selling Books on Expatriate Life
"…I wish I had this book when I made my first move!"

Donna Ayerst, FLO Publications Coordinator, U.S. Department of State
"not just about coping with change, but how to get back that person (yourself) you feel you may have lost"

Customer Reviews

Comments from a former expatriate wife
Like many other women who accompany their husbands overseas, I started to think I was going crazy! But, after attending a workshop facilitated by the authors, I realized what I was feeling was completely normal. By using the skills and exercises that Debra and Charise illustrate in their book, you can get back on your feet and transition into your new lifestyle overseas.<

Only wish I'd read it sooner...
I had moved to the UK and was having a difficult time adjusting, this book really helped me sort myself out. I would recommend it to anyone moving to another country. It brought up a lot of topics that hadn't occurred to me that I might need to explore, and I felt better knowing that I wasn't the only one having gone through the difficulties of culture shock and feeling lost. Has practical exercises to work through that give you a better understanding of yourself and ultimately help the whole process move along a lot smoother.