Loss, doubt, insecurity — the unspoken costs of living abroad
Cultural Identity Integration is a three-phase coaching framework developed by Amy Franks, MD, drawing on her professional training, cross-cultural research, and her own experience as an American professional relocating to France. It is grounded in the Bicultural Identity Integration model — the research-backed framework describing how individuals navigate two cultures at once, and how the degree to which those cultures feel compatible (rather than conflicting) shapes wellbeing, performance, and belonging. The CII framework translates that science into practice for global professionals who are succeeding externally but struggling internally — caught between who they were at home and building a new life abroad.
Whether you are struggling with building new relationships, feeling more like yourself, or wanting to succeed in your professional life, this coaching framework helps you reach your goals and feel "at home" in your new life abroad.
Clarify
Most clients arrive functioning well on paper but unable to name what's actually wrong. During this phase, we work to understand your specific challenges and set specific goals. This phase maps where your two cultures feel blended versus conflicting, and where you feel distant versus overlapping — so we can name precisely what the transition is doing to your sense of self, your confidence, and your professional identity.
Reconstruct
Using the CII framework, you rebuild your identity, values, and social confidence within your new cultural context — moving from a fragmented stance toward an integrated stance where both cultures coexist as harmonious and blended. This is where a coherent bicultural identity emerges.
Integrate
Insight becomes reality. You leave with the tools to navigate in this new territory — in meetings, in social settings, in daily French life. The goal is functional Bicultural Identity Integration: professionally confident, socially connected, and culturally fluent in France without losing the self you arrived with.
How we begin working together.
Discovery call
A free 15-minute video call to discuss your situation and ensure we're a good match. No commitment.
Initial assessment
A deep-dive 60-minute session exploring your history, current challenges, and the specific challenges of your life in France.
Reconstruction
Regular sessions — in-person in Levallois-Perret or via secure video — tailored to your schedule and personal needs, following the CII framework.