
Caring Well for Third-Culture Kids with Karina Townsend and Dr. Kristin Kellen - EP189
From The Sent Life by Southeastern Seminary
May 6, 2026 · 26 min · Episode 189
About this episode
The episode discusses the challenges faced by Third-Culture Kids as they transition to life in the U.S. from both a parent's and a counseling perspective.
We often talk about how to help missionaries return to the U.S., but what about their kids? Many of them were either born overseas or have very little context for life in the U.S., which can make transitioning to American life quite challenging. On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan sit down with IMB missionary Karina Townsend and SEBTS professor of counseling Dr. Kristen Kellen to talk about TCKs from both a parent's perspective, as well as a counseling perspective. Join us as we explore how we can better understand and serve missionary kids as they adjust to life in the U.S. Thanks for tuning in to The Sent Life! We love hearing from our listeners. Tell us what you thought of this episode or suggest future topics by contacting cgcs@sebts.edu. Resources: Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds by David C. Pollock, Ruth E. Van Reken, and Michael V. Pollock - https://www.amazon.com/Third-Culture-Kids-3rd-Growing/dp/1473657660 Belonging Everywhere and Nowhere by Lois J. Bushong - https://www.amazon.com/Belonging-Everywhere-Nowhere-Insights-Counseling/dp/0615696066 Unstacking Your Grief Tower by Lauren Wells…
People in this episode
Hosts: Scott, Keelan
Guests: Karina Townsend, Dr. Kristin Kellen
Topics covered
- Third-Culture Kids
- missionary kids
- transitioning to American life
- parenting
- counseling
Keywords
- Third-Culture Kids
- missionaries
- transition
- counseling
- parenting
- adjustment
- U.S. life
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: IMB, SEBTS
Books & works: Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, Belonging Everywhere and Nowhere, Unstacking Your Grief Tower
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