Living abroad is an adventure—one filled with growth, exploration, and opportunities to immerse yourself in a new culture. But when life transitions like motherhood, perimenopause, menopause, or career changes enter the picture, it can feel like navigating uncharted waters. For expat women in Switzerland, these shifts often come with unique challenges, leaving many feeling unsettled, isolated, or unsure of where to go from here.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, isolated, or uncertain about how to move forward, know that you're not alone. As a trailing spouse and expat myself, I’ve been on my own journey of adjusting to a new country. Life transitions are inherently challenging, and living far from home adds an extra layer of complexity. The good news? With intention, support, and self-compassion, you can navigate these changes in a way that fosters your resilience, growth, and connection.

The Emotional Landscape of Life Transitions

Transitions often spark a wave of emotions and changes that can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re living abroad. Common experiences expat women face include:

Motherhood

Becoming a mother and raising children is transformative in many ways, bringing growth, highs, and lows. For those parenting abroad, there’s often additional stress that makes aspects of motherhood more challenging. Without the support of extended family or familiarity with local parenting norms, it’s easy to feel isolated. Juggling all that goes into raising children on top of new cultural expectations, household responsibilities, postpartum depression, and a lack of support system can leave you feeling lost and stretched thin.

Perimenopause

The hormonal shifts of perimenopause can bring mood swings, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and physical discomfort. For expats, navigating these transitions without access to a familiar healthcare system or support network can feel confusing, frustrating, and lonely.

Menopause

This stage of life often comes with a mix of relief and loss. It's a time of redefining your identity and purpose. For expat women, the challenges of menopause may be compounded by cultural differences in how society views older women, aging, and self-care.

Marriage and Partnership Changes

Divorce or Separation: Ending a marriage abroad often involves navigating unfamiliar legal systems, financial shifts, or co-parenting in a foreign culture. It can also lead to losing parts of your social network tied to your partner.
New Partnerships or Marriage: This may involve figuring out where to meet people, entering a new dating scene, and blending cultural values and expectations between you and your partner.

Career Transitions

Whether stepping into a new role, pausing your career, or redefining your professional identity, career shifts can feel daunting. This stress compounds when you’re faced with a language barrier, work permit restrictions, or different workplace cultures.

Empty Nest

For expat parents, children leaving home can trigger feelings of loss and uncertainty. A lot of your time may have previously been spent caring for your child and helping them adjust to life in Switzerland. When your children become adults there is a shift in how you spend your time, resources, and mental energy. You may also face questions about your identity, now that your children have grown. If they move to a different country or back to your home country, it may be more challenging to see each other or help them from afar.

Retirement

Retirement abroad comes with questions about identity, purpose, and logistics. Where will you live? How will you stay connected to the community? How do you build meaning in this new chapter of your life when you have more free time?

Loss of a Loved One

Grieving while far from home can feel particularly isolating. You’re likely away from your family and support system and in a culture that may have different grieving practices and expectations. You might not be sure where to turn for comfort or struggle to find support and resources in English.

Unique Challenges for Expat Women in Switzerland

While Switzerland offers incredible opportunities and a high quality of life, navigating transitions here comes with its own set of hurdles:

Cultural Isolation: Swiss cultural norms around privacy can make forming meaningful connections feel slow or challenging. It may take a while for Swiss individuals to warm up to you as you are trying to build friendships.
Language Barriers: Common daily tasks from attending doctor’s appointments, to using transportation, to finding local resources, are overwhelming when you don’t speak the language. With limited English-speaking resources available, it can be difficult to navigate society, cultural norms, and work when you don’t know the main language in your area of Switzerland.
Distance from Family and Friends: Being far from loved ones can leave you feeling lonely and unsupported, particularly during emotionally intense periods.
Healthcare Access: It’s often challenging to learn how the healthcare system and insurance in Switzerland work. It can also be time-consuming to find an English-speaking provider who understands your cultural background.
Seasonal Challenges: Long, dark winters can intensify feelings of loneliness and isolation. You may not be used to seeing so little sun for extended periods of time, which in turn affects your mood.

Strategies for Navigating Transitions

While there are additional complexities for expat women living in Switzerland, it is possible to move through life changes with confidence and grow through the process. As you explore the strategies below, try to brainstorm ways you could implement each into your life.

Build a Support System

Connect with local expat communities or women’s groups for shared experiences and friendships.
Seek out English-speaking therapists, healthcare providers, or coaches familiar with the expat experience and specializing in women’s issues.

Prioritize Self-Care

Incorporate practices like mindfulness or meditation to manage stress and anxiety.
Explore nutrition and physical activities that support hormonal health during perimenopause and menopause.

Reconnect with Yourself

Try out different activities that bring you joy, relaxation, connection, or a sense of purpose.
Journal or reflect on this transition as an opportunity for growth and self-discovery.

Embrace Flexibility

Let go of rigid expectations you or other people place on you.
Give yourself permission to adapt and make changes as needed.

The Role of Therapy in Life Transitions

Therapy offers a safe space to explore the big questions transitions often bring: Who am I now? What do I want? Where do I go from here? Working with a therapist can help you:

Process emotions like grief, anxiety, or uncertainty related to the life transition.
Reflect on the values guiding your decisions and how they’ve evolved.
Rediscover who you are outside of societal or cultural expectations.
Develop coping strategies to manage stress, improve relationships, and find clarity.

Therapy isn’t just about solving problems—it’s about creating a space to explore who you are and what you want, without the pressure to conform to anyone else’s expectations. My goal is to help you reconnect with yourself, embrace the opportunities within these transitions, and move forward with confidence.

Moving Forward with Resilience

Transitions like motherhood, perimenopause, or career and relationship changes can be confusing and difficult, especially when living far from home. While these chapters of your life may feel uncertain, they also hold the potential for profound growth.

You have the power to reconnect with your true self, heal, and create a life that aligns with who you are and what you want.

Let’s Find the Path Forward Together

Running a private practice in Lutry has given me the privilege of supporting numerous expat women across Switzerland as they’ve found their way forward into a life they love. If you’re ready to explore how therapy can help, reach out to schedule a free consultation.

Life Transitions Abroad: A Guide for Expat Women in Switzerland