Analysis of challenges, resources and adjustment in expatriatesFilipič Sterle, Mojca (Avtor) Verhofstadt, Lesley (Mentor) Gostečnik, Christian (Komentor) expatriatesexpatriate familychallengesresourcesadjustmentpsychological distressfamily functioningsocial supportpsychotherapy experiencerelational family therapyExpatriation is a major life event involving various challenges that expatriates face during their adjustment process, and resources they may use to facilitate their adjustment and alleviate psychological distress. In this doctoral dissertation, we found that family functioning was an important resource for individual expatriate adjustment as it has potential to foster or undermine the positive outcome of the relocation. Particularly, better family cohesion and higher family satisfaction were positively linked to the successful outcomes of the relocation. The link between work adjustment and psychological distress was found important, as two studies showed that expatriates with better work adjustment experienced less psychological distress Our study on social support as a resource for help-seeking expatriates, who were included in psychotherapy, revealed a positive association between perceived availability of socioemotional support on the one hand and interaction and work adjustment on the other hand. Instrumental support was found more helpful for general adjustment of help-seeking expatriates when they really needed this kind of social support. Exploring psychotherapy as a resource showed that expatriates reported to experience psychotherapy as a space where they could show their own weakness and be who they were. They expressed the need to receive the recognition of their expatriate complexity, and being able to embrace the wholeness of their expatriate life. Our qualitative study on the psychotherapy experience of relational family therapy revealed the importance of feeling close and connected to other people for expatriates. Receiving the recognition of the up-rootedness and lack of sense of belonging as parts of their expatriate complexity, seemed particularly important for expatriates as it addressed their confusion about where they felt at home.[M. Filipič Sterle]20192019-07-19 14:07:04Doktorsko delo/naloga108758sl