Melissa Parks, PhD - Coach for Globally Mobile & Writer

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Melissa Parks, PhD - Coach for Globally Mobile & Writer

Coach for globally mobile individuals & former therapist. Writing a memoir on loss, belonging & self-compassion. Co-founder, LIT Community.

I've been working in the field of mental health and wellness for almost 20 years now, in the USA, Spain, and the Netherlands. I have my PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology and worked as a therapist for many years. These days I provide coaching to expats and entrepreneurs. I primarily support my clients through transitions, helping them to cultivate resilience, coping skills, and a better understanding and appreciation of themselves and their values. I'm also the co-founder of “Location Independent Therapists," an online community made up of mental health professionals around the globe who are living and working across country lines. We support them in growing their private practice and finding ways to combine their career in mental health with international living. I'm currently writing a memoir that's primarily focused on the decade I lived abroad in Europe. I share about my journey to pursuing therapy myself, and becoming a therapist, making peace with my highly sensitive side, and discovering the power of self-compassion. I'm also the mom to an energetic preschooler who keeps me on my toes so I have a lot of empathy for my clients who are parents themselves. I'm married to a global nomad who I met while living abroad and we speak a version of Spanglish in our house, and keep our love for international living alive with as much travel as we can, staying in touch with friends and family around the globe, and enjoying international foods.

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If you’re interested in discussing how we could work together, I invite you to set up a free consultation call at https://melissaparks.com/free-consultation-call/ or email me at melissa@melissaparks.com

03/10/2026

Something that's been living inside my head for years finally has a face.

When my cover designer asked what I imagined my memoir cover would look like, my mind went completely blank. I'd written and rewritten this book for years. I'd even visualized holding the finished copy in my hands. But somehow, in that visualization, there had never been a cover.

So we started from almost nothing - a vague sense that the title needed to do most of the work, and a small visual hint at the "mess." A few iterations later (and after consulting my husband, my son, and yes, even my 16-month-old), we landed here.

A huge thanks to the talented Michelle of Fresh Design https://freshdesignbooks.carbonmade.com/ 😍

This is A Compassionate Mess: A Therapist, Her Monsters, and a Journey to Self-Acceptance.

The book is about the journey of learning to meet the messy, uncomfortable parts of ourselves with compassion rather than trying to fix or hide them. It felt important that the cover capture that spirit without being too obvious or corny.

Seeing it like this - real, finished, out in the world - is a little surreal. Exciting and terrifying in equal measure.

Next week I'll be sharing how you can read it before it's published. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, what's your first impression? I really do want to know. 💓

03/06/2026

After my breakup in Spain, one of the questions I wrestled with most was this -

Should I stay… or should I go? 🤔

Stay in the country where I had been building a life, even though the relationship that anchored it was suddenly gone?

Or go back to somewhere familiar and start over again?

At the time, I had no idea what was the right answer. 😥

Part of me wondered whether it made sense to keep trying to build a life in Spain after everything had fallen apart. Was it a sign it was time to move home?

Another part of me wasn’t ready to walk away from the life I had started there.

A few years later, when I first posted about this time in my life on my blog, I learned just how many people living abroad face similar crossroads. 🛣

In fact, it's become one of the most common reasons globally mobile clients reach out to me - should I stay or go?

It's also one of the threads that runs through the memoir I’ve been writing.

What about you - have you ever faced a moment where you had to decide whether to stay somewhere… or start over somewhere else? 🌎

03/04/2026

Four years into living abroad, my life in Spain fell apart in a single conversation.

I had been building a home - and a life - with my Spanish boyfriend. And suddenly that future disappeared.

At first I assumed the breakup meant the end of my time in Spain too.

Part of me thought it would make the most sense to leave.
To return to where my family was.
To start over somewhere familiar.

But something inside me wasn’t ready to give up on the life I had begun building there, even if it suddenly felt like it was in ruins. 💔

So I stayed.

Not because I had a clear plan.
Definitely not because I felt strong, confident, or certain!

I stayed because some quiet part of me hoped there might still be something for me in Spain. 🇪🇸

Looking back now, that decision changed the course of my life in ways I couldn’t possibly have imagined at the time.

It’s also where my memoir begins. 📖

Have you ever made a decision that felt uncertain in the moment, but later shaped everything that came after? ✨

02/28/2026

Some of you may know this already, but in May I’ll be publishing my memoir, "A Compassionate Mess."

It begins with my life in Madrid falling apart and traces the years that followed as I tried to rebuild something that actually fit.

The book explores living abroad, identity and belonging, therapy (on both sides of the couch), and learning that self-compassion isn’t indulgent - it’s necessary.

It feels strange to share something like this when the world feels heavy. And yet, at its core, this book is about our common humanity - about the importance of human connection and recognizing we are all imperfect and vulnerable human beings worthy of compassion.

That feels more important to me than ever.

I recently updated my website to reflect this next chapter, including a dedicated book page where you can join the mailing list for updates and early access when preorders open. I'll also be sharing the cover with my mailing list very soon!

If you’re curious, you can find it here:
https://melissaparks.com/memoir/

02/26/2026

Nine years ago, I took the most tearful flight of my life. ✈️

I was flying back to Amsterdam after meeting my newborn nephew in Seattle. I had spent eight years building a life abroad and worked so hard to create a sense of home there. But suddenly, the pull of family felt different. It was a whole-body feeling. 💔

I spent that entire flight wondering:

Should I stay? Or should I go?

It wasn’t the first time I’d wrestled with that question. But it was the first time I couldn’t look away from it. My nephew would keep growing. By my next visit, he would already be different.

Here’s what I’ve learned since then, both personally and professionally:

Once you’ve called more than one place home, the “stay or go” dilemma rarely disappears. 🌍

Repatriating didn’t magically solve it. And for most globally mobile people, there isn’t a permanent, once-and-for-all answer.

Instead of asking, “Where should I live forever?” I now ask:

Where does this next chapter want to unfold?

If you’re wrestling with a big decision - moving countries, changing careers, ending a relationship, starting something new - I offer “Should I Stay or Go” clarity sessions to help you sort through it.

For many people, 1–2 sessions are enough to move from spinning to grounded.

You don’t have to navigate these questions alone. ❤️

If you’d like more information about clarity sessions, you can learn more here: https://melissaparksphd.as.me/schedule/df7850b9

(And yes — this theme runs deeply through my upcoming memoir, too. 📖)

02/25/2026

Therapists…

What if you could love this work
and build a life that feels like yours? 🌍

Live abroad.
Work online.
Create a practice that supports your life - not the other way around.

I know that pull.

I also know the voice that follows:

It’s too complicated.
Too risky.
Maybe later.

When I started working online over a decade ago, there was no roadmap. Very few therapists were doing it.

I figured it out as I went - across countries, systems, time zones.

It was exciting.

And lonely.

Meeting Sonia Jaeger changed everything. Suddenly I wasn’t the only one asking these questions.

That’s how the Location Independent Therapists (LIT) Community began.

Not because Sonia and I had all the answers.
But because this path feels very different when you’re not building it alone.

We just turned 6 🎉

If you’ve been watching from the sidelines, this is your gentle nudge.

Start with the 7-day free trial.
Use code LIT50 for 50% off your first payment (up to $500 on the annual plan).

If you’re imagining something different -
you’re not unrealistic.

You might just be ready. 😉

✨ https://locationindependenttherapists.com/community/

02/17/2026

Have you ever been told you were “too sensitive”? 💓

Maybe it was meant as an insult, or maybe it was said with the best of intentions.

Either way, that's the sort of comment that sticks with you. Especially because we tend to hear it countless times while growing up.

That critique eventually becomes part of our own inner dialogue.

We start monitoring ourselves more closely.
Judging our reactions.
Criticizing our emotions.

Maybe if we just try harder we can become calmer, less anxious, easier to be around.

I spent years believing that healing meant becoming someone else.
Someone less intense.
Less emotional.
More "zen" and "go with the flow"

And so very often I see this pattern in my clients. They come to me hoping I can fix their sensitivity.

To help them tone it down, or tough it up, or just stop feeling so much.

But sensitivity isn’t the problem. ❎

Some of us are simply wired to feel deeply, notice subtleties, and respond strongly to our environments.

Our suffering usually begins when we judge that wiring.
Or when we try to change it instead of understanding it.

Healing, I've learned, isn’t about shrinking who you are.
It's about accepting the person you've always been.

But self-acceptance isn't an easy path. It's counterintuitive in this world that wants us to wage a battle with ourselves. That tells us with the right hacks we can be calmer and happier.

If any of this resonates with you, I'm so happy you're here! It's great to connect with other highly sensitive people.

And stay tuned because I'll be sharing even more on this topic as it's a theme that runs through my memoir that I'm publishing this spring, "A Compassionate Mess: A Therapist, Her Monsters, and a Journey to Self-Acceptance." 📖

02/12/2026

I just finished writing the acknowledgments for my memoir and my heart is so full of gratitude for all the people who have supported me along the way! 🥰

One person deserves a special shoutout on here too - my book coach, Caroline Allen 💗

I started and abandoned so many drafts of my book before I met Caroline. I never thought I'd need a coach to write a book. How hard could it be if I could just get myself to sit down and work on it? I finished a dissertation for goodness sakes! Certainly I could finish a self-help or memoir...

But after many failed attempts, including two years of NaNoWriMo where I stopped halfway through and accepted I'd never be an author, I found some renewed hope with my discovery call with Caroline. 🌠

I can full heartedly say my memoir wouldn't be complete if it wasn't for her hand holding, encouragement, professional expertise, editing, and intuitive wisdom.✨

I never imagined how much of an inner journey it would be to write a memoir. I'd already processed it all in therapy. But writing it in a book that others would read took me even deeper. It made me confront a new version of my inner critic, and made me question my plans to publish at many points along the marathon that is writing a book. 🏃‍♀️

I needed the accountability of regular coaching sessions, someone to teach me how to shift my writing away from the academic style I'd grown accustomed to, and who could also help me figure out the way forward when my gut told me there was a story to tell, but it wasn't coming through on the page. ✍️

I share all of this not only to thank Caroline, but because she's hosting a free webinar next week to help other aspiring authors. She didn't ask me to share this, but I've seen her posting about it and it sounds like an invaluable experience! 💻

If you have a whisper in your heart asking you to bring your book dreams to life, I'd encourage you to sign up! 📖

You'll find all the details to sign up on Caroline's website --> https://art-of-storytelling.com/free-webinar/

02/10/2026

Hi friends! 👋 It's been awhile since I've been active on here so it's time for a reintroduction post.

I’m Melissa Parks, a former therapist who now works as a coach supporting globally mobile individuals who are going through big life changes like -

✨ moving abroad
✨ repatriation
✨ ending a relationship
✨ having a baby
✨ changing jobs
✨ ....or even a few transitions at the same time!

I'm also the co-founder of the Location Independent Therapists(LIT) Community. We support therapists around the world who are living and working across borders. I love being able to help colleagues find ways to combine therapy with international living. 🌏 💻

I grew up in the Seattle area (USA) but spent a decade abroad in Spain and the Netherlands.

Although I've now repatriated to the U.S. I keep my global nomad soul alive by interacting with people around the globe every day. 💌

Not just my colleagues and clients, but I now have friends and family around the globe. Not to mention that my husband is from Venezuela and not a week goes by where we don't daydream about moving back to Spain. 😍

I'm also a mom, a job I've loved more than I ever imagined I would! I have a son who is 5 and a daughter who is 16 months. They're both highly spirited and keep me on my toes! It's also nearly impossible to get a photo of myself without one of them in it 🤣

One of the things I plan to share a lot about this year is the memoir I'm writing. Launch date is TBD, but it's looking like it will be before June. It's a memoir about loss, belonging, and resilience. Stay tuned to hear more! 📖

I'd love to hear from you! Whether it's to reconnect or introduce yourself for the first time. Let me know where in the world you are and something you're looking forward to this year ⬇️

07/28/2025

Really excited about this! For years my co-founder, Sonia Jaeger and I have been offering these one off consultations to other mental health professionals interested in becoming location independent therapists. But it was never something we advertised, just something we offered when people emailed us about it. We recently decided it was time to change that and we’re now spreading the word about this offer for mental health professionals who are curious about location independence, but might not want (or be ready) for the entire LIT Community experience.

Please spread the word to anyone you know who could benefit from this - https://locationindependenttherapists.com/consultation-with-co-founder/?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwL0jhhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp2clfZvaSj66eX2XRoU0iUEWb3RwrtxHKudRr8_9az6-BirzTZ1o9rMetkwh_aem_zMatZCL3qS5f0w7Kc9VSCg

07/16/2025

Hello there! 👋

Long time no see! I've posted in stories a couple of time since returning from my maternity leave, but am only just now taking time for a real post.

What a whirlwind the past 9 months have been since we welcomed our daughter and my son became a big brother! It's been busy and chaotic and more joyous than I could have imagined. 🤩

I've enjoyed the transition from 1-2 children so much more than I did 0-1. I'm not sure if it's because I had 4 years to practice as a mom, or because my husband and I have more practice as a parenting team, or because I started antidepressants for anxiety ...or maybe it's because it took us so long to get our second baby 🤔

BUT whatever the reason is, I'm really enjoying being a mom of 2 and even enjoyed the postpartum and infant stage so much more this time. 🥳

What's been tricky is juggling the demands of work alongside being a mom to two kids. The mental load is heavier, the sleep deprivation is worse, and childcare is more complicated. Because of that it's taken me a bit longer than I wanted to get back into the groove of things with work.

I've really tried to ease in, first by hosting events in the Location Independent Therapists community, then seeing former clients, and I've now opened up my schedule for new clients as well! 📆

You'll likely see some changes with my marketing as I lean back into working with expats and other globally mobile clients (more on that later). 🌎

So if you're globally mobile and looking for support as you go through a transition such as moving abroad, repatriation, deciding whether to stay or go, becoming a parent, starting a business, or anything else, schedule a discovery call so we can talk about how my coaching can support you as you write your next chapter - https://melissaparksphd.as.me/schedule/df7850b9/appointment/26822158/calendar/2759132?appointmentTypeIds[]=26822158

Looking forward to reconnecting on here 😃

09/20/2024

I've been spending the past couple of weeks getting ready for my maternity leave.

It's been bittersweet to wrap up work with my clients. Goodbyes definitely aren't my favorite part of my work, but it's also given me plenty of time to reflect on transitions.

It's especially interesting to watch my clients enter into their own transition as I'm preparing for my own. When I was preparing to have my son I thought "I'm really good at transitions and I help people through them all the time so I'm ready for this!" But looking back I equated "good" with "smooth," and I've since decided that's pretty impossible when it comes to transitions.

Big life changes tend to be bumpy and not so glamorous. There's a lot of one step forward, two steps back. And it's all so much harder when you're sleep deprived! It took me quite awhile to find my "new normal" when my son was born, but I'm hoping I can go into this transition with more patience and self-compassion. It may not speed up the process, but it should help my emotional reserves.

I'm also excited to share that I was able to finish my memoir and it's now set to send to publishers! It's the story of the decade I spent living abroad - becoming a therapist, going to therapy myself, and finding my path to self-acceptance. I'll have more news to share about this in the new year!

I'll resume taking on clients in spring 2025. If you'd like to work together then, please fill out this form to be added to my waitlist - https://forms.gle/WiDTchxSNR9WUjbk6

Address

Seattle, WA
98109

Website

http://www.melissaparks.com/

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Welcome to My page!

Hi there! My name is Melissa Parks and I have my PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology and I’ve been running this page since 2014 providing information and resources to support the expat and international community.

I provide coaching to expats and other international clients living around the globe to help them live joyful and fulfilling lives, wherever in the world life takes them. I lived abroad myself for 10 years in Madrid, Spain, and Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and repatriated back to my hometown of Seattle (USA) last year. However, because I’m in an intercultural marriage, speak Spanish in my home, and interact with clients, colleagues, friends, and family around the world on a daily basis, I still consider myself a global nomad. I also am fond of saying “once a global nomad, always a global nomad,” because living abroad changes your worldview and identity.

My coaching clients include expats, English teachers teaching abroad, international NGO employees, immigrants, adult Third Culture Kids (TCKs), location independent professionals, digital nomads, diplomats, accompanying spouses, and other internationals whose lives span cultures, countries, languages, and times zones.

In addition to coaching, I also co-facilitate a community for location independent therapists and coaches and teach the evidence-based Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program in the Seattle area. I really think mindfulness and self-compassion are essential skills for navigating the emotional rollercoaster that comes with living a globally mobile life. The MSC program is designed to help you cultivate these resources and learn to treat yourself in the same way you’d treat a loved one.