Hi, I’m Tanya Crossman

Intercultural life opens doors — to new cultures, perspectives, and ways of being in the world. But it also comes with real challenges: identity questions, difficult transitions, complex family dynamics, and the quiet weight of feeling like you don't quite belong anywhere.

I've spent over two decades helping cross-cultural individuals, families, and organisations not just survive those challenges but find clarity, confidence, and genuine belonging within them.

Whether you're an international school supporting globally mobile students, a multinational that knows its people are its greatest asset, a relocation provider seeking expert resources for families in transition, or an individual reckoning with cross-cultural complexities — I bring both deep research and hard-won human insight to the work.

The Research Behind the Work

I'm the author of Misunderstood: The Impact of Growing Up Overseas in the 21st Century (2016), a book which draws from interviews with 270 Third Culture Kids and a survey of 750, and co-author of Thongs or Flip Flops? Australian Kids Overseas and What Comes Next (2024). I also designed TCK Training's two large-scale surveys of TCK experiences and served as lead author on all six research reports that followed, making me a respected and research-grounded voice in this field.

That research doesn't stay on the page. It shapes every workshop I facilitate, every coaching session I hold, and every consulting call when I partner with organisations.

My third book, exploring the impact of change and the nature of home, is coming soon.

What I Do

I work with international schools, multinational companies, NGOs, relocation providers, individuals and families to:

  • Build frameworks for understanding cross-cultural identity and transitions

  • Support intercultural understanding in international workplaces and classrooms

  • Equip parents with tools to support their globally mobile children

  • Help cross cultured individuals unpack their past and move forward with confidence

  • Train HR teams and staff to better support internationally mobile employees

I offer interactive workshops and professional development, speaking engagements, 1:1 coaching, and organisational consulting — always tailored to your community’s unique needs, wherever you are in the world.

The Lightbulb Moment

What I live for is the moment when someone sees their situation in a new light. When things that felt confusing or painful suddenly make sense. That moment of clarity is where real change begins, and I've had the privilege of witnessing it thousands of times.

If you're ready to give your people (or yourself!) that kind of insight, I'd love to talk.

Client experience includes:

  • Multinationals/NGOs: Australian HR Institute, UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), UNICEF Dakar, UNICEF ESAR, UNICEF Global, UNWFP (United Nations World Food Programme).

  • International Education: Australian International School Singapore, Beijing International Society, ChengDu International School, Chinese Language Conference, Dakar Academy, Dar es Salaam International Academy, Dwight School Seoul, Grace International School (Chiang Mai), Haven of Peace Academy (Dar es Salaam), Heart for Africa (Eswatini), Hope International School (Beijing), Hope International School (Phnom Penh), International School of Beijing, International MTSS Summit (IMS), International Schools Consortium (ISC), International School Counselor Association (ISCA), International School of Kuala Lumpur, International School of Tanganyika, Keystone Academy (Beijing), Khartoum International Community School, Morrison Academy (Taiwan), NorthStar Academy, QSI International School of Shenzhen, SENIA Beijing, Tsinghua International School (Beijing), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Wellington College International Shanghai.

  • International community: Bridges International, Child Safety and Protection Network, Cornerstone Counselling Centre (Chiang Mai), EPIC Youth Conference (Cambodia), Families in Global Transition (FIGT), Global Interaction, Happy Abroad Summit, International TCK Conference (ITCKC), Living Well Cambodia, Missions Interlink Australia, NSW MK Network, Pioneers TCK Program (Thailand), Roundabout Beijing, South Sudanese Australian Youth United, World Team France, Young Adult TCK Network Adelaide, YWAM Norway.