Coaching Teens Through International Moves
I support young people through change and help parents understand how to support them, too.
About Me
Hi, I’m Irene Tsui.
I coach teens who are navigating international moves, and I work with their parents along the way, at moments when things feel unsettled, confusing, or quietly heavy. These are often times when life looks manageable from the outside, but doesn’t quite feel that way from within.
I know these transitions from the inside. My family moved from Hong Kong to New York when I was a teen, and I remember how disorienting it was to land in a new system while still figuring out who I was. Later in my fifteen years as a teacher in international schools, I saw how often teens carry the emotional weight of a move without showing it on the surface. They adapt, perform, and keep going, while much of what they are experiencing remains unspoken.
What I offer for teens and parents
At Talk To Irene, my coaching work centres on helping teens make sense of international moves, while supporting parents in understanding what their teen may be experiencing and how to respond in a way that feels steadier and more grounded. This can be before a move, while a change is actively happening, or after a move, when the longer-term impact is still settling.
Some families begin with teen-focused coaching, where the primary relationship is between the teen and me, and parents are involved in a supportive, background role. In other situations, the work begins with parents, particularly when a teen is not ready to engage directly or when parents want support in understanding what their child may be experiencing and how to respond in ways that feel calmer and more grounded. There are also cases where parent and teen work with me separately, but in parallel, supporting alignment within the family without placing pressure on the teen to engage in joint conversations.
My work is grounded in listening, presence, and respect. I pay attention to the small, internal shifts that are easy to miss from the outside: the moments when something begins to settle, when a young person starts to feel a little more oriented, or a little less alone in what they’re carrying. Growth doesn’t always look dramatic or measurable. Often, it shows up quietly.
I approach this work with compassion and cultural sensitivity, and with an awareness that international moves affect everyone in a family differently. Parents are often holding a great deal themselves while trying to support their children through unfamiliar territory. Even when things look “fine” on the outside, there can be a lot happening underneath. Talk To Irene exists to offer a steady presence during these in-between moments, when change is underway, and understanding has not quite caught up yet.
Learn more
If you would like to learn more about how I work, how I handle confidentiality and trust or how to get started, you can visit my website at www.talktoirene.nl
