Welcome all Wanderers

Hello there,

My name is Melanie Ukosakul. I am a licensed mental health therapist, dual US-Thai citizen, daughter of South East Asian parents from different countries, partner to a US-naturalized White South African, mother of a tri-citizen, expat/ repat/ local and foreigner. I very much identify as a third-culture kid in that my identities occupy a third space that doesn’t fully fit in one or even two categories. I am very familiar with living in the hyphen and the feeling like I belong everywhere and no where all at once. If you have found this, you perhaps also identify as a third culture kid, a global soul, someone who feels stuck in the middle of identities, whether you are bi-racial, multicultural, or feel not fully like you belong.

My hope is that this blog is one about identity and belonging, reflections of what I have learned personally but also as a therapist, sitting across from others who both reflect my face and story and those whose stories and experiences are quite different to mine (no client identifiers or stories of course).

I hope you take what resonates with you and leave what feels unhelpful.

As always, this is not a replacement for therapy or mental health counseling, but can perhaps guide you to more curiosity and invitation for the wandering parts of you to find home. Welcome to all the parts of you.