#36 When Change Hurts - The Hidden Grief of Life Transitions with Christina Babich

Show notes

Major life transitions are a universal human experience — whether we cross borders, end chapters, or begin new ones. Yet beneath the excitement, opportunity, and outward success, these transitions often stir a quiet emotional current that goes unnoticed: a sense of dislocation, identity shift, and what our guest calls “hidden grief.”

Culture Chat In this episode, Frauke Bender and Marie-Christine Dobro sit down with Christina Babich — digital nomad, transition coach, and writer — to explore this deeper emotional landscape. From growing up in Vancouver and studying abroad in France to navigating life across European cities, Christina has lived the realities of global mobility and now supports expats and digital nomads through the emotional complexities that come with movement. Together, they unpack how relocation shapes our sense of self and belonging, why “hidden grief” often accompanies even the most exciting transitions, and how we can regulate, ground, and rebuild ourselves during profound periods of change. Christina shares practical tools, compassionate insights, and a perspective that resonates with anyone who has ever navigated life between cultures, countries, or identities.

What We Talk About:

• Hidden Grief in Global Transitions Why grief often hides beneath excitement during big life changes How expats, digital nomads, and repats experience emotional displacement Normalizing grief to reduce shame, loneliness, and self-blame
• Identity, Belonging & the Nervous System What relocation does to our sense of self How the brain and body react under stress The “driver and passenger” metaphor for understanding nervous system responses
• PTSD, Stress & Emotional Regulation What PTSD looks like in the context of transitions Hypervigilance, dissociation, and the biology of overwhelm Why understanding your nervous system helps you regain agency
• Practical Grounding Tools Christina shares concrete techniques you can use immediately: Naming emotions to reduce intensity The 5–4–3–2–1 grounding method Movement, nutrition, and simple daily practices to recalibrate Building self-compassion during emotional upheaval
• Christina’s Personal Journey From Vancouver → France → Europe’s urban centers → Budapest How losing her fiancé shaped her approach to grief and transition support Why she dedicates her work to helping others navigate emotional change

🎧 Key Takeaways

1. Hidden grief is real — even when transitions are positive.
2. The nervous system plays a central role in how we cope.
3. Self-regulation tools are accessible and effective.
4. Emotional resilience is built through self-compassion.

Resources Mentioned: Kristin Neff – Self-Compassion Francis Weller – The Wild Edge of Sorrow

About Christina Babich: Christina is a Canadian-born psychologist based in Europe who supports expats and digital nomads through anxiety, trauma, grief, and the emotional challenges of life in transition. Her trauma-informed, evidence-based approach combines CBT, DBT, ACT, and yoga-based nervous-system work to help clients find steadiness and connection wherever they are. After the sudden loss of her soon-to-be-fiancé in 2021, Christina’s work became deeply personal, rooted in compassion and honesty about what it means to rebuild after loss. Having lived across Europe herself, she brings both professional expertise and lived experience to help people feel grounded, safe, and at home within themselves — wherever in the world they may be.

Connect with Christina Babich: Website: christinababich.com Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/christina-babich-psychology Substack: @christinababich

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