Ulrika Ernvik
Sweden

Ulrika has experienced cross-cultural life since she was one year old where she lived in Congo with her parents who served there as missionaries. She lived 6 years in Congo, and then came back to Sweden as a teenager. She knew she wanted to have more of the cross-cultural experience so after graduation she spent one year in Belgium. Later she traveled for a year with her husband in Asia. She came to live in Chiang Mai with her family in 1997; they stayed for three years and then came back again in 2008.

As a former TCK, as well as a mom to five TCKs, she has a great interest in TCK issues. For several years she has been counseling at an MK camp in Sweden, and she has organized and taught at retreats for adult MKs as well as for parents to MKs.

Two of her children, and her sister, are adopted, so she has also a lot of experience, knowledge and heart for adopted children and adults, and for their parents.

She loves to meet with families and together with them try to understand what is going on in the family, and what needs the different family members have!

Ulrika also has a lot of experience in training parents and has developed a training program for all kind of caregivers. The program helps the participants to develop good attachment to the children in their care by better understanding the children and their needs.

Work Experience:

For several years Ulrika and her husband of over 20 years, took turns in working full time at home taking care of their five children. ”My kids have taught me more then any book, education or other work experience has done!”

Ulrika has worked as a Social Worker in Sweden for several years, first with follow up with children in foster care and their parents and foster families, and then with building up a Family Center that offers counseling and training for parents.

She and her husband have been working as missionaries in Thailand for more than four years, mainly serving the Karen people. Ulrika is volunteering part time at the Well.

She speaks Swedish, English, Thai and some French.

Educational Background:

• Örebro University, Sweden, BSW, 1991 with a major in Community Work
• Örebro University, Sweden, MSW, 1996
• Lund University, Sweden, Family Therapy, level 1 of 2, 2003

Specialized Training

• COPE (Community Parent Education)
• Motivating Interview
• Authorized Social Worker of Sweden

Services offered through The Well:

• Family counseling and Family therapy.
• Workshops about TCKs, children’s needs, and how to better understand children.
• Seminars for orphanage staff and others, about attachment and children’s needs (in Thai language)

Heartbeat:

“There is always a message! Children never do something just to upset us as parents – there is ALWAYS something they try to tell us with their behavior. Their message might be that THEY need something we have not been thinking about – or that WE as parents need something that we have not been thinking about. So – next time your child is showing a tantrum – rejoice! Your child is trying to make you aware about something important!”


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