If you've wondered why life still feels unsettled long after leaving post, you're not alone. This recorded conversation helps make sense of the psychological impact of prolonged uncertainty—and what helps while the waiting continues.
AFSA President John Dinkelman joins therapist Sina Jones, LCSW-C and Erin Abbott, LCSW-C, for a conversation about what happens when uncertainty stretches from weeks into months—and why the waiting can become its own source of stress for individuals and families.
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Ordered Departure disrupts routines, relationships, parenting, work, and the quiet assumptions that help life feel predictable.
Leaving post brought many families to safety. It didn't always bring a sense of safety.
As the weeks became months, many Foreign Service families found themselves living with unanswered questions, changing plans, and the challenge of moving forward without knowing what comes next. Friends and family returned to their routines. Headlines moved on. Yet the uncertainty remained—shaping daily decisions, family life, and the ability to plan for the future.
That's why we hosted this conversation.
Not because there are easy answers, but because understanding what prolonged uncertainty does to individuals and families can change how we experience it. Our hope is that this conversation helps you better understand what you're feeling, recognize that many of these responses are common, and leave with practical ways to navigate the waiting with greater clarity and confidence.
A better understanding of why prolonged uncertainty can feel harder than the initial evacuation.
Language to make sense of why life can begin to feel like it's on hold.
Practical ways to regain a sense of steadiness while the waiting continues.
A framework for recognizing when you or a family member may need additional support.
Reassurance that many of the challenges you're experiencing are common responses to prolonged uncertainty—not signs that you're "doing it wrong."
Sina is the Founder and Clinical Director of Jones Hill, a Clinical Researcher with the Yale School of Medicine Child Study Center, and a Foreign Service Eligible Family Member (EFM).
Over the last twenty years with the U.S. Department of State, her family has served in Baku, Moscow, Vienna, Colombo, Paris, and an unaccompanied tour in Afghanistan, experiencing firsthand Authorized Departures, family separation, as well as the forced staff reductions and PNG expulsions from Russia.
Erin is the Clinical Supervisor at Jones Hill, where she leads clinician training and oversees the practice's group therapy program.
Drawing on nearly a decade of experience across Child Protective Services, public schools, and intensive outpatient treatment, Erin specializes in helping individuals and families understand how stress, trauma, and prolonged uncertainty affect everyday functioning—and what helps people regain a sense of steadiness.
This discussion is shaped by clinical expertise and lived Foreign Service experience.
At Jones Hill, we believe understanding reduces uncertainty.
We serve teens, young adults, parents, and families during some of life's most challenging transitions. Our team brings together expertise in therapy, neuropsychology, educational support, and executive functioning so families receive thoughtful, coordinated care—not disconnected opinions.
This conversation reflects the same philosophy that guides our practice—combining research, clinical expertise, and practical guidance to help people find solid ground when the path forward isn't clear.
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