The Welsh language has a special word for that unique blend of wistful longing and nostalgia for home.  Hiraeth translates as “homesickness”, yet there is no direct English equivalent. To fully appreciate the meaning of hiraeth in the Celtic language is to have tasted the poignant yearning, tinged with grief or sadness that is hiraeth. Perhaps you know this for yourself? If you’re an expat, no matter what language you speak – it’s likely that you feel a longing for home, and a homesickness for the familiarity of family, familiar food, language, music, and a deeply rooted cultural identity.   

In our work with Lebanese Expats, we understand that leaving Lebanon isn’t only about starting a new job or getting an education. There’s also the culture shock and challenge of navigating life away from a  firm sense of belonging which feels disorienting and anxiety producing. Whether you left Lebanon recently, or years ago, the yearning for home persists. Even when your new country offers safety, opportunity, or a better future, it doesn’t take away the pain of what you’ve left behind. In this blog, we look at how you can cope with homesickness as an expat, including how culturally sensitive online therapy can help to address and process your sadness, grief, and longing for home.

 

The many faces of homesickness

When you think of your homeland, certain places spring to mind. If you’re a Lebanese Expat, the bustle of Beirut, Tripoli, or Sidon are easy to imagine. The towering cliffs of Qadisha Valley or the sandy shores of Tyre Beach may be in your mind’s eye. Yet, homesickness isn't always about a physical place. Homesickness also includes longing for:

·       The lilt and cadence of your language spoken all around you.

·       The smell of emmeh’s cooking and the memories this evokes.

·       Spontaneous visits with friends you’ve known since routa.

·       A sense of acceptance and belonging that feels harder to find abroad.

Home is not just geography: it’s the sense of belonging to people, stories, smells, sounds, and history. When those things are out of reach, deep emotional emptiness can ensue.

If you experience homesickness as an expat, you’ll are likely to feel isolated, disconnected, or even guilty for having left. Some people feel stuck between two worlds—not fully at home in the new place but no longer fitting perfectly into the one they left behind either. There are many facets to homesickness.

Research shows that homesickness has consequences for both expatriates and the organisations they’re part of (Hack-Polay & Mahmoud, 2020).  Consequences include:

·       Social isolation

·       Poor physical health

·       Reduced individual wellbeing

·       Reduced work outcomes and organizational commitment

Research also reveals that homesickness shows up in a range of ways for expats (Vingerhoets,2005).

These include:

·       Physical complaints, including headaches, chronic exhaustion and difficulties with appetite and digestion.

·       Cognitive symptoms, including distraction, focus issues and intrusive thoughts.

 

Why homesickness is so hard to talk about

In Lebanese culture, resilience is a survival tool. Generations have endured war, political instability, and economic collapse. That leads to a “be strong” mindset, where the focus is on keeping going and surviving.

Resilience comes at a cost. Talking about emotional pain, including homesickness, might feel like weakness. You might find yourself minimizing and dismissing your pain with critical self-talk, using phrases that include:

“Other people have it worse”

“I should be grateful”

“I ought to be happy”

“I’m making a fuss out of nothing”.

Sure, there may be things to be happy and grateful for as an expat, but that doesn’t cancel out your sadness or isolation.

There’s space for both.

You can miss home and appreciate your new life. You can mourn what’s lost and celebrate what you’ve built. You don’t have to choose between strength and sadness.

Self-critical messages make it hard to talk about your feelings and experiences of homesickness. However, keeping things “bottled up” can lead to further isolation and loneliness. 

 

Strategies for coping with homesickness as an expat

Coping and living well alongside homesickness is possible. Rather than ruminating on what you miss, bring parts of home into your new life. Aim to integrate your past with your present. Practical ways to do this include:

·       Cook a meal you grew up with and invite someone to share it with you.

·       Join online Lebanese communities, cultural groups, or discussion forums.

·       Create rituals—listening to music, calling your family every Sunday, lighting a candle and reciting a favorite Arabic proverb.

·       Speak your native language regularly, even if only to yourself.

·       Acknowledge that homesickness and culture shock is a “thing”.  You’re not imagining it or being weak.

These small acts can become anchors in the face of your homesickness. They remind you that home is not gone, home is part of you.

 

How online therapy helps with homesickness.

Therapy offers a space where nothing needs filtering. You can talk openly about what you miss, what your finding challenging. Effective therapy includes the experience of received empathy – a felt sense of being understood, without judgement, as you share your feelings or experiences. This can be life changing if you’re feeling isolated, alone or are experiencing culture shock as an expat.

For expats, online therapy helps you:

·       Understand the roots of your homesickness and how it connects to identity, memory, and belonging.

·       Process guilt around leaving loved ones behind or “moving on” while others are still struggling.

·       Find grounding in your current life without letting go of your cultural heritage.

·       Rebuild connections with your values, your language, and your story—even from far away.

Online therapy is especially helpful for expats, removing the barriers of distance, language, and time zones. You can speak with a therapist who tailors the therapy to your cultural beliefs, values, and identity, and who speaks your first language fluently.

If you’re struggling with homesickness, grief, or identity confusion as an expat, therapy can be a powerful way to process those emotions in a safe, supportive space. Speaking to a licensed therapist who understands the cultural nuances can make all the difference to that feeling of being alone.

 

Ready to Talk?

If you’re considering therapy, you don’t have to wait until things get worse. Online therapy makes it easier than ever to connect with a culturally informed licensed Lebanese therapist who gets you and who understands your longing for home, even when you’ve built a life elsewhere. 

Do get in touch if you want to know more about how online culturally sensitive therapy can support you as a Lebanese expat. Quietspace offers therapy that feels like home, whether you’re living in London, Montreal, NYC or Sidney. 

 

References:

Hack-Polay, D., & Mahmoud, A. B. (2020). Homesickness in developing world expatriates and coping strategies. German Journal of Human Resource Management, 35(3), 285-308. https://doi.org/10.1177/2397002220952735 (Original work published 2021)

 

Vingerhoets AJ (2005) The homesickness concept: Questions and doubts. In: Van Tilburg MA

and Vingerhoets AJ (eds) Psychological Aspects of Geographical Moves: Homesickness and

Acculturation Stress. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, pp. 1–16