A Practical Guide to Therapeutic Work with Asylum Seekers and Refugees
A Practical Guide to Therapeutic Work with Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Informed by the authors' direct work with refugees, the book starts with a comprehensive introduction to understanding the underlying issues that lead to the complex needs of an asylum seeking client group. Using an easy-to-follow 'what?', 'why?' and 'how?' structure, within the four key phases of refugee experience. It also shows professionals how to sensitively address trauma, loss and separation with clients who are adjusting to a foreign culture and language using three core principles (therapeutic relationship, bearing witness and psycho-education).
Informed and accessible, this guide will help you create a safe, welcoming environment for asylum seekers in all stages of their journey to improve their psychosocial wellbeing and mental health.
This is a sensitive and compassionately written handbook that places the refugee and asylum seekers' experience in a very real and human context. It offers insight to help those working with them to avoid falling into the dynamic of victim and expert helper, whilst never ignoring the multiple challenges the client is likely to experience.
This handbook will be of particular interest to medical professionals in general practice, as their experience can hinder or facilitate a refugee's interaction with healthcare. The important insight this book provides not only improves the patient's outcome and experience, but also the efficiency of the healthcare system.
Angelina Jalonen and Paul Cilia La Corte are integrative psychological counsellors who hold Masters degrees in Refugee Care. Since 2011 they have been working together to develop the Refugee Council’s therapeutic care framework for refugees in the UK.
Forward by Jerry Clore
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
PART 1: UNDERSTANDING: THE REFUGEE PHENOMENA
1. The Refugee Experience
2. Loss, Separation and Trauma in the Four Phases
3. Host Country Acculturation
4. The Complex and Multiple Levels of Needs
5. Self-Identity and Human Resilience
6. Refugee Trauma and Mental Health
PART 2: THREE CORE PRINCIPLES
7. The Therapeutic Relationship
S. Bearing Witness
9. Psychoeducation
PART 3: WORKING WITH GROUPS AND SEPARATED CHILDREN
10. Building on Strengths and Resilience through Community Engagement
11. Working with Separated Children Asylum Seekers
PART 4: PRACTITIONERS FIRST AID AND TOOLBOX
12. Self-Reflective Practice and Self-Care
13. Working with Interpreters
14. Conclusion
Appendix A: Family Genogram
Appendix B: External Factors
Appendix C: Fear and Sadness
Appendix D: Crisis Intervention
References
Index
About the Authors
