Bridgeway Counselling
Jessica Chan MBACP (Reg.)
BACP Registered Counsellor
Counselling for International Students & Life Between Cultures
Support for international students, boarding school students and adults navigating cultural adjustment, identity, belonging and life between cultures.
Sessions are available online across the UK. In-person sessions may also be available in Bournemouth and Poole where appropriate.
Referrals and enquiries are welcome from individuals, parents, families and guardians.
Experiences That May Feel Familiar
Everyone's experience is unique. These are some of the experiences that international students and people navigating life between cultures often bring to therapy.
Homesickness
Identity & Belonging
Academic Pressure
Family Expectations
Boarding School Life
Language & Communication
Feeling Between Two Worlds
Understanding Life Between Cultures
Moving to a new country, starting boarding school, beginning university or adapting to a different culture can feel both exciting and deeply unsettling.Â
You may find yourself balancing different expectations from home and your new environment, navigating unfamiliar systems, relationships and ways of life. At times, it can feel as though you belong in more than one place, yet not fully in any of them.
Whether you are adjusting to life away from home, exploring your identity, navigating language challenges or managing significant life transitions, these experiences can shape how you see yourself and the world around you.
It is okay to feel uncertain, disconnected or caught between different worlds. Therapy can offer a space to make sense of these experiences, reconnect with your own voice and develop a stronger sense of belonging wherever you are.
My Approach
I offer a warm, collaborative and culturally sensitive space where we can explore your experiences at a pace that feels right for you. Whether you're adjusting to life in a new country, navigating cultural expectations, exploring your identity or making sense of significant life transitions, therapy offers a space to reflect, reconnect with yourself and develop a stronger sense of belonging.
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Alongside my counselling practice, I have spent nearly eight years supporting international students and young people, working closely with students, families and schools.
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Having moved from Hong Kong to the UK as a teenager and international student myself, I also bring a personal understanding of the challenges that can arise when navigating different cultures, languages and expectations. While every person's experience is unique, this has shaped the way I work and deepened my appreciation of the complexities of living between cultures.
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I am a BACP Registered Counsellor with a post-qualifying Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People.
Language Matters
Culture may be central to your experiences, or it may simply be one part of a much bigger story. There is no expectation for it to be the focus of our work unless it feels important to you.
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For some people, certain thoughts, memories and emotions are easier to express in their first language. Others naturally move between languages depending on what they are talking about. You are welcome to use English, Mandarin or Cantonese throughout our work together, and sessions can be adapted to whatever feels most comfortable and natural for you.