The Trailing Spouse

If you have young kids to manage, are "trailing" a higher-earning partner's career, and are living far from their own support networks, you're at risk for falling into an expat trap: becoming the "secondary" partner. The partner whose needs and well-being are expected to come in second (or even 3rd!) to those of her spouse and family. 

This workshop, led by Shawna Samuel, will help you get back on equal footing with your spouse or partner. We'll talk about the 3 Ps (powerlessness, patriarchy, and people-pleasing), and how to reclaim your time and your voice. You'll leave with a new sense of confidence, agency, and belief in what's possible for your life in France.

Shawna Samuel became the "trailing spouse" in 2012, moving to France with a toddler and French spouse. She made this the start of a global corporate career in financial services, and founded The Mental Offload in 2020. She holds a BA from Wellesley, an MBA from Yale, and is a Certified Coach. To learn more about her work, visit www.thementaloffload.com or follow her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/mental_offload.