Finding a home: group psychotherapy for traumatized refugees and asylum seekers

Abstract

Group therapy is a useful form of intervention for individuals with histories of extreme trauma. This paper will discuss the relevance of group interventions with refugees and asylum seekers who have suffered persecution and trauma in their home countries. Using case examples, this paper will illustrate how groups can provide an environment in which members can begin to work through past traumatic experiences and begin the process of finding a home in the UK, within a context of continued uncertainty and threat. The central principles of group analytic psychotherapy and how these can be applied and adapted to meet the needs of this specific group will be explored. Key issues, including working with an interpreter, cultural factors and dealing with high levels of vulnerability and dependency, will be discussed. The complex boundary issues arising from needing to intervene with practical issues outside the group therapy process will be considered. The paper will also explore the impact of this work on the group facilitators and ways in which this can be managed.