A warm welcome from the Doc
Dear Future Culture Shifter!
Welcome to the journey of cultural discovery, adaptation, and success. It is an honour to have you here. Whether you are navigating this transition yourself or supporting a loved one through it, this experience is both transformative and deeply meaningful. It is one of the most humbling things to have the trust to guide people through this transformative experience as they embark on their cross-cultural experience and start a new chapter of their life.
I know first-hand how exhilarating—and how deeply challenging—cultural transitions can be. While I hold a PhD in Cross-Cultural Psychology and have spent years studying cultural adaptation at the highest level, my passion for this work is not purely academic. It is personal.
As a Singaporean who has built a life and career across Australia and Asia, married to an Australian and raising two mixed-race children, I have lived the complexities of cross-cultural navigation every day. I have experienced first-hand the struggles of feeling out of place, of questioning my identity, of misreading social and professional cues, and of longing for belonging. My own painful experiences of acculturation led me to dedicate my life’s work to ensuring that others do not have to endure the same hardship alone.
This work is deeply personal to me. The Cultural Cognition Mindset™ and the Culture Shifting Programs we have developed are not just from my research—but also rooted in my lived experience, my struggles, and my healing. I know what it feels like to be misunderstood, to feel invisible, to wrestle with questions of belonging. I have felt the weight of expectations pressing in from all sides, the frustration of not being able to fully express who I was in a new cultural landscape. And I have also felt the triumph of finally finding my footing, of learning how to bridge worlds without losing myself in the process. Every insight, every strategy in this program is something I wish I had known when I first embarked on my own cross-cultural journey. It is my heartfelt hope that through this program, you will find the clarity, confidence, and resilience to navigate your own journey with greater ease.
This program has been carefully designed to give you the tools and confidence to navigate your cultural transition with clarity and purpose. Our workshops will help you anticipate the challenges ahead and give you the strategies to tackle them—putting you in the best position to thrive across cultures and succeed in new environments. You will learn how to cultivate a curious, resilient and adaptable mindset.
Cultural adjustment can be overwhelming, but you do not have to figure everything out on your own. We can work through challenges together—whether it’s adapting to academic or workplace expectations, managing culture shock, or finding ways to create meaningful connections in your new environment.
No matter where you are coming from or where you are going, I want you to know that you are not alone in this journey. With the right preparation and support, your transition can be one of growth, resilience, and success. It would be my honour to guide you through this process, alongside my team of experienced cultural professionals who are deeply committed to your success.
I look forward to meeting you and walking this journey with you.
Warmest regards,
Dr. Su-Ann Tan
PhD, Intercultural Communication and Cross-Cultural Psychology
Convenor and Proprietor of the Cultural Cognition Mindset™ Framework
