As a multicultural person herself, Miranda Nadeau, Ph.D. specializes in therapy for third culture kids, or people who grew up in a cultural context different from their parents. Did you immigrate at a young age, move around a lot growing up, or are your parents originally from a different homeland? You may be a third culture kid.
Growing up between worlds can be deeply enriching and expansive–but it can also be lonely, confusing, and heavy at times. As a third culture kid, you may have never quite felt like you fully belonged anywhere.
I Get It.
I know how complex and layered the third culture experience can be, as someone who grew up in an East Asian household with an immigrant parent. Whether you were raised in expat communities, international schools, or in between cultures, you deserve a therapist who really gets it.
At Panorama Therapy, I offer thoughtful, compassionate, and culturally attuned therapy especially for third culture kids.
Common Mental Health Themes for Third Culture Kids
Rootlessness & Belonging
Many third culture kids wrestle with the question, “Where are you from?” You may have lived in multiple countries, changed schools often, or never fully settled into one identity. This can create a persistent sense of disconnection—from places, from people, and sometimes even from yourself. Therapy can help you explore what belonging means to you and how to cultivate it in ways that feel authentic and grounding.
Identity Confusion
When you’re constantly navigating multiple cultural contexts, it can be hard to develop a rooted sense of who you are. You might feel like you’re always adapting, code-switching, or shape-shifting depending on who you’re with. I provide a non-judgmental space to unpack these identity layers and help you build a more integrated and harmonized sense of who you are.
Cultural Disconnection
You might feel disconnected from your heritage culture, the host cultures you’ve lived in, or both. Maybe you don’t speak your “mother tongue” or your parents’ language fluently, or maybe cultural traditions feel unfamiliar and out of reach. This disconnection can be painful. In therapy, we can gently explore these feelings and help you connect on your own terms.
Therapy for Asian Canadians
I have a special interest in working with Asian Canadians who navigate the space between cultures. As the daughter of a Taiwanese immigrant, I have experienced the pressures of cultural conflicts and high family expectations, and I have directly seen how much these issues can affect mental health and well-being. Other big topics with Asian clients include:
- Family of origin concerns: conflict, communication, and unresolved relationship wounds
- Intergenerational patterns and trauma
- Racial trauma and discrimination
- Stereotyping and pressures to excel
- Definitions of success vs. personal fulfillment
- Cultural adjustment and pressures to both acculturate and honor cultural heritage
- Grief and the loss of cultural practices during immigration or assimilation
- …and every other facet of being a human being
As an Asian Canadian, you deserve well-informed and culturally nuanced therapy. Seeking care from a therapist who understands can make all the difference in your healing and growth.
Family Dynamics
Being a third culture kid often means growing up in a family where cultural values differ—between generations, between home and outside, between siblings even. You might feel misunderstood by your parents or caught between conflicting expectations. I can help you navigate those relational dynamics, improve communication, and create more clarity and compassion in your family relationships.
Identity & Relationships
Third culture kids often develop deep empathy, adaptability, and cross-cultural insight—but that doesn’t mean relationships always feel easy. You might struggle with closeness, boundaries, or feeling like people can’t quite understand you. In therapy, we’ll work on building more grounded relationships—starting with your relationship with yourself.
You Deserve Support That Sees the Whole You
I recognize the richness and the ache of your story. Thriving as a third culture kid is not about fitting into someone else’s mold—it’s about reclaiming and reshaping your own vision of wholeness and wellness. With experience as a third culture kid myself, I will support you with compassion, curiosity, and clarity as you explore what home, identity, and healing mean for you.
Let’s Get Started
If you’re looking for a space where you feel fully seen, my door is wide open. Let’s begin together.
- Reach out to schedule using my contact form.
- Connect with a therapist who understands the third culture experience—because I’ve lived it too.
- Explore your identity, feel more grounded, and move forward with clarity and care.