This section is dedicated to explore the diverse issues pertinent to psychotherapeutic work with refugees in general and torture and trauma survivors in particular. Refugees settling in Australia are one of the most heterogeneous client populations that we are likely to encounter as helping professionals. They represent an enormous variety of and cultures, languages socio-political backgrounds, with associated challenges for service providers. Refugees are arguably also one of the most traumatized groups in our society. In addition to a high incidence of exposure to severe trauma and multiple losses, they also face additional stressors associated with the refugee experience, migration and resettlement. The resulting interaction is complex, and can result in a vast array of secondary problems. The lectures in this section focus on different aspects of this complex interaction and the issues for clinicians and other service providers. They also explore various models, interventions and approaches to address these issues at a practical level.
The section draws heavily on the work of the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS). As such, the section reflects STARTTS concern to provide services that address trauma and PTSD within an embedded cultural perspective that acknowledges the dynamic interaction between trauma-related or posttraumatic issues, the stresses and demands of exile, migration and resettlement process, and other stressors that affect refugees as individuals, families and communities, while recognizing and aiming to enhance the strengths, the human capital and enormous potential to contribute to our society that refugees have. (For more information about STARTTS please visit WWW.startts.org.au )
