Counseling Services for Stuck Parents
Parenting is challenging, but for those legally or circumstantially bound to a foreign country to maintain contact with their children, the struggle is even greater.
At Trapped Parents by Counseling Today, we provide emotional and practical support for expats and stuck parents navigating custody restrictions, high-conflict co-parenting, and the difficulties of adjusting to life in an unfamiliar culture.
Whether you’re dealing with legal limitations, isolation, or the emotional toll of sacrificing your home country for your children, we help you find balance, build resilience, and create a path forward.
You are not alone—our guidance is designed to help you adapt, cope, and reclaim control of your life while staying present for your children.
Emotional Support for Trapped Parents
Helping parents cope with the emotional distress of being legally or circumstantially tied to a foreign country for the sake of their children.
Co-Parenting with an Ex Abroad
Developing strategies to navigate high-conflict co-parenting while ensuring your rights as a parent are respected in a foreign legal system.
Legal & Custody Challenges for Stuck Parents
Guidance for parents facing visa restrictions, custody disputes, or legal barriers that prevent them from returning to their home country.
Counseling for Trapped Parents & Expats
Being a trapped parent—stuck in a foreign country to maintain access to your child—is an emotionally and psychologically demanding experience. You are not alone.
Our coaching provides emotional support and practical strategies tailored for parents navigating the legal, social, and mental health challenges of being bound to a country for their children.
Whether you need tools for cultural adaptation, coping strategies for isolation, or help managing the stress of high-conflict co-parenting, we will guide you through the challenges of raising children in a foreign land.
Navigating Life as a Stuck Parent
Helping parents adjust emotionally, socially, and professionally to life in a foreign country while maintaining ties with their children.
Managing Cultural Isolation & Identity Loss
Helping trapped parents maintain their cultural identity while integrating into a foreign country and building a sense of belonging.
Visa & Immigration Stress Management
Supporting parents dealing with the stress of visa renewals, immigration policies, and legal barriers affecting their ability to stay with their children.
Legal & Bureaucratic Stress Coaching
Guidance on navigating complex legal systems, family court rulings, and custody enforcement challenges in a foreign country.
Building a Life as a Trapped Parent
Coaching to help parents establish a fulfilling personal and professional life in their child's country, despite the challenges of forced relocation.
Managing Loneliness & Isolation
Helping parents combat loneliness, find local and expat communities, and build meaningful connections while living in a foreign country.
Parental Alienation & Custodial Interference
Support for parents experiencing custodial interference or parental alienation, with tools to maintain a connection with their children.
About Counseling Today
Guiding Trapped Parents Through Uncertain Times
Parenthood is a lifelong journey, but for parents stuck in a foreign country due to custody agreements, legal restrictions, or co-parenting obligations, the challenges can feel overwhelming. Dr. Matthew Peloquin founded Trapped Parents to provide specialized coaching and support for parents navigating the emotional, legal, and psychological impact of raising children in a country they never planned to call home.
Understanding the Mental & Emotional Toll of Forced Relocation
Dr. Peloquin’s academic background in psychology, sociology, and communication sciences provides a unique foundation for understanding how parents experience grief, identity loss, and emotional disconnection when trapped abroad. He earned dual Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Communications from the University of Massachusetts, followed by a PsyD in Counseling with a concentration in Men’s Mental Health and Divorced Fathers.
His work challenges outdated perceptions of resilience, adaptation, and parental roles—helping individuals develop emotional intelligence, coping strategies, and a renewed sense of self while managing life as a stuck parent.
Helping Parents Reclaim Stability & Control
- Counseling for Parents Navigating Custody Restrictions – Addressing stress, isolation, and identity loss tied to forced relocation and legal battles.
- Co-Parenting & Communication Coaching – Providing practical strategies for managing relationships with ex-partners and navigating cross-cultural parenting.
- Resilience Coaching for Parents Stuck Abroad – Helping parents build confidence, establish new support systems, and maintain a connection with their children.
- Legal & Bureaucratic Stress Management – Offering guidance on navigating foreign legal systems, custody disputes, and visa-related restrictions.
Advocating for the Rights & Well-Being of Trapped Parents
Beyond his work at Trapped Parents, Dr. Peloquin is a leading advocate for parental mental health, a researcher in the psychology of fatherhood, and the founder of Support Fathers Rights Inc.—a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on breaking the stigma around men’s emotional health and self-care. He is also an active member of the Parental Alienation Study Group (PASG), working alongside legal and mental health professionals to advance awareness, intervention strategies, and support systems for alienated parents.
Empowering Parents to Build a Future Abroad
Trapped Parents is more than just a resource—it’s a place where parents can regain their sense of self, process the sacrifices they’ve made for their children, and develop strategies for thriving in their new reality. Whether you’re struggling with the weight of forced relocation, the uncertainty of co-parenting abroad, or the long-term impact of legal restrictions, support is available.
Ready to take your next step? Please review our Terms & Acknowledgement Agreement before beggining your journey.
