CW Day 4/Session 4 - What remains when everything changes: Insights from Third Culture and Global Nomad Research (OPCW)

May
07
May 07, 2026
13:30 - 14:30 CEST



This presentation explores the psychological impact of relocation and involuntary transition among internationally mobile professionals in multilateral and humanitarian contexts. Beyond its perception as opportunity, global mobility often entails cumulative stress, identity disruption, and loss of belonging—particularly during organisational restructuring or contract non-renewal. Drawing on clinical practice and field experience, the session examines the consequences of repeated mobility and the breakdown of the organisational “container,” often associated with reverse culture shock and complex loss. It introduces a pragmatic, evidence-informed counselling framework offering practical guidance for all workforce and the professionals supporting staff and families navigating transition and uncertainty.
 

Hosted By: 
OPCW

Elisabetta Iberni

Elisabetta Iberni is a Clinical Psychologist and licensed Psychotherapist with over twenty years of experience in mental health, staff wellbeing, and organizational resilience within international and humanitarian settings. She currently serves as Staff Relations and Welfare Officer at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), where she provides confidential counselling to staff and strategic guidance to managers on complex workplace and psychosocial issues, including stress, critical incidents, and team dynamics, while strengthening leadership capacity to foster psychologically safe and resilient work environments. She holds a PhD in Dynamic and Clinical Psychology from the University of Rome “Sapienza”, a PhD in Psychoanalytic Studies from the University of Essex, and an MSc in Occupational Health Psychology from Leiden University. Her experience includes roles with the OPCW, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), as well as other humanitarian organisations, delivering psychosocial support in contexts affected by conflict and crimes against humanity and advancing staff care frameworks for humanitarian personnel and peacekeepers.