Why I Use the Term “Expat” – And Why It’s Not Opposed to “Migrant”

Jessica Greve | Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist (CBT), Social Pedagogue (M.A.)

When working with people who have left their home country, you inevitably encounter a debate that goes far beyond language:

Should we speak of expats or migrants?

I have reflected deeply on this question—not only out of personal interest but also out of professional responsibility.

As a licensed child and adolescent psychotherapist and coach, I support people living outside their home country—regardless of whether they moved abroad for professional, family, personal, or economic reasons.

After engaging extensively with academic literature and public debates, I made a conscious decision to use the term expat. In this article, I want to explain transparently why.

What Do “Migration” and “Expat” Actually Mean?

From a scientific perspective, the definitions are surprisingly clear.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) defines migration as the movement of people across international borders or within a state, involving a change of residence (IOM, 2024).

A migrant, therefore, is simply someone who has relocated their place of living.

The word expat comes from Latin (ex patria) and literally means:

living outside one’s homeland.

The original term makes no statement about origin, skin color, income, education, or reason for moving.

Linguistically, anyone living outside their home country could be called an expat.

Why the Term “Expat” Is Critically Discussed Today

In practice, however, the usage has shifted.

Social science research shows that expat is often applied to people from Western industrialized nations who move abroad voluntarily, usually well-educated and professionally motivated.

By contrast, people from economically weaker countries are more often labeled migrants—even when they have made the exact same move: living outside their homeland.

This unequal use of language has been criticized for years, not because the word expat itself is problematic, but because its societal usage can reflect existing power structures (Fechter & Walsh, 2010; Kunz, 2016).

Mental Health Knows No Origin

From a psychotherapeutic perspective, the real question is not:

What do we call people?

But rather:

How are they doing?

Mental health conditions occur worldwide, across all societies, cultures, and social classes.

According to the World Health Organization, one in eight people globally lives with a mental disorder (WHO, 2022).

Depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders do not distinguish between:

• academics,

• skilled workers,

• entrepreneurs,

• students,

• people with refugee backgrounds, or

• international professionals.

Mental health does not recognize nationality or social status. What differs is access to support.

That’s why I believe psychological help must reach as many people as possible—regardless of the label they use for themselves.

What Research Shows About Life Abroad

Interestingly, psychological research reveals that migration itself is not the decisive stressor.

The greatest challenges often arise after arrival—so-called post-migratory stressors, such as:

• loneliness and loss of social networks,

• language barriers,

• cultural differences,

• identity questions,

• discrimination,

• homesickness,

• changes in family roles,

• difficulties integrating into the new society.

These stressors significantly increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders (Bhugra, 2004; Miller & Rasmussen, 2017).

Migration itself does not make people ill. What matters is how they cope with life afterward.

Why Social Networks Are So Important

One of the strongest protective factors for mental health is social support.

People who build meaningful relationships after moving abroad experience less loneliness, lower psychological strain, and greater life satisfaction (Cohen & Wills, 1985).

Connections with others who share similar experiences are especially valuable. They intuitively understand what it feels like to:

• live between two cultures,

• cope with homesickness,

• function in a foreign language,

• feel both at home and foreign at the same time.

Such networks foster belonging and ease adaptation.

Integration Cannot Happen in Isolation

At the same time, research highlights another key point: staying exclusively within one’s own community can hinder genuine integration.

Canadian psychologist John W. Berry’s acculturation model describes integration as the most favorable form of adaptation:

• preserving one’s cultural identity,

• while also building relationships with the new society.

Those who achieve this balance report higher well-being and better mental health than those who isolate themselves or abandon their heritage entirely (Berry, 1997; Berry, 2005).

This balancing act is challenging. People want connection with those who share their journey, yet also want to truly belong in their new environment.

Psychological support can help navigate this path—avoiding loneliness or overwhelm.

Why I Still Choose the Word “Expat”

After all these reflections, I asked myself: How can I address all people who have moved abroad—regardless of education, nationality, or life path—in a way that is inclusive and free from discriminatory labeling?

I use expat for three reasons:

1. The original meaning excludes no one.
   It simply describes someone living outside their homeland. Nothing more, nothing less. I want to reclaim this inclusive definition.

2. I use it inclusively, not exclusively.
   Restricting expat to privileged groups would reinforce divisions. I want the opposite: to open the term to everyone. Mental health makes no distinctions—why should we?

3. My audience finds me through this word.
   In German-speaking contexts, migration is often associated with immigration into Germany (Foroutan, 2019; SVR, 2023). Many Germans, Swiss, or Austrians living abroad would not search for a “psychotherapist for migrants”—even though scientifically they are migrants. Using expat is therefore also a communicative choice, ensuring people can find the support they seek.

Whom I Support

I accompany people who have set out on a journey.
People living between cultures.
People missing their homeland.
People building a new home.
People who are sometimes strong—and sometimes exhausted.

I support expats, migrants, and emigrants alike. Not because I see differences, but because I see their shared human experience.

The only group I often refer elsewhere are those with severe trauma from war or flight. In such cases, online coaching or therapy is usually insufficient. International guidelines recommend specialized trauma treatment on-site—ideally in the native language or with professional interpretation (WHO, 2022; NICE, 2018).

My Personal Conclusion

I do not use expat to separate people.
I use it to reach as many as possible who live outside their homeland and seek psychological support.

For me, expat, migrant, and emigrant are not terms of different value. They all describe people with a shared experience:

They have left their home and are trying to build a new one elsewhere.

These are the people I want to support—regardless of origin, skin color, passport, language, income, or social status. Because everyone deserves access to psychological help when life between two worlds becomes a challenge. I am honored to walk alongside them.

Warm regards,
Jessica Greve
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist (CBT) | Social Pedagogue (M.A.)
yourmindzhealth.com

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literature references

Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology, 46(1), 5–34. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.1997.tb01087.x (doi.org in Bing)

Berry, J. W. (2005). Acculturation: Living successfully in two cultures. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29(6), 697–712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2005.07.013 (doi.org in Bing)

Bhugra, D. (2004). Migration and mental health. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 109(4), 243–258. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0001-690X.2003.00246.x (doi.org in Bing)

Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310–357. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.98.2.310 (doi.org in Bing)

Fechter, A.-M., & Walsh, K. (2010). Examining 'Expatriate' continuities and discontinuities: Postcolonial approaches to mobile professionals. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 36(8), 1197–1210. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691831003687667 (doi.org in Bing)

Foroutan, N. (2019). Die postmigrantische Gesellschaft: Ein Versprechen der pluralen Demokratie. transcript Verlag.

International Organization for Migration. (2024). World Migration Report 2024. International Organization for Migration.

Kunz, S. (2016). Privileged mobilities: Locating the expatriate in migration scholarship. Geography Compass, 10(3), 89–101. https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12253

Miller, K. E., & Rasmussen, A. (2017). The mental health of civilians displaced by armed conflict: An ecological model of refugee distress. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 26(2), 129–138. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796016000172 (doi.org in Bing)

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2018). Post-traumatic stress disorder (NG116).

Sachverständigenrat für Integration und Migration. (2023). Jahresgutachten 2023. Krisenzeiten – Migrationspolitik unter Druck.

Ward, C., Bochner, S., & Furnham, A. (2001). The Psychology of Culture Shock (2nd ed.). Routledge.

World Health Organization. (2022). World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All.

pictures used:

https://pixabay.com/de/users/regencygirl123-5268654/ (06.07.26)

https://pixabay.com/photos/city-berlin-haze-people-bridge-5104205/ (06.07.26)