• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Psychology of the refugee, the immigrant and their children: Development of a conceptual framework and application to psychotherapeutic and related support work Kristal-Andersson, Binnie 2000 Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Kristal-Andersson, B. (2000). Psychology of the refugee, the immigrant and their children: Development of a conceptual framework and application to psychotherapeutic and related support work. Binnie Kristal-Andersson, Office of Psychotherapy and Psychology in Stockholm South, Drakenbergsgatan 63, 117 41 Stockholm,. Total number of authors: 1 General rights Unless other specific re-use rights are stated the following general rights apply: Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal Read more about Creative commons licenses: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. LUND UNIVERSITY PO Box 117 221 00 Lund +46 46-222 00 00 Download date: 28. Sep. 2021 PSYCHOLOGY OF THE REFUGEE, THE IMMIGRANT AND THEIR CHILDREN — DEVELOPMENT OF A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND APPLICATION TO PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC AND RELATED SUPPORT WORK Binnie Kristal-Andersson Department of Psychology University of Lund Sweden 2000 2 SUMMARY Psychology of the refugee, the immigrant and their children – development of a conceptual framework and application to psychotherapeutic and related support work Binnie Kristal-Andersson, Department of Psychology, University of Lund, Sweden In recent years, awareness has grown of the necessity of understanding the inner world of refugees (in particular traumatized refugees), immigrants, and their children. These groups have come in increasing numbers to Scandinavia, and otherwise confident and capable professionals in all arenas of mental health, social work and other fields have often felt inadequate when working with them. After many years of clinical and supervisory work, Kristal-Andersson realized that there was an acute need for a treatment model that considers the specific psychology of these groups. In her view, specialized process-related training in psychotherapy and its related fields, and also in support work, is necessary to obtain psychological understanding of their difficulties, and also to build up the knowledge, insight and confidence of professionals and others in working with them. Formulating a framework and organizing a specialist form of education for various categories of professionals have been the principal goals of her research work and this subsequent doctoral dissertation. The relevance of the framework (part I of the dissertation) is evaluated through experiences of a course of practical training based upon it (part II). Part I provides a summation of over twenty-five years of Kristal-Andersson’s and others’ clinical and support work with refugees and immigrants. First, it describes the commonly occurring psychological and other difficulties that the individual/family faces in the new country. Second, it presents a conceptual framework or treatment model evolved over many years of clinical work, supervision and consultation. The model was derived through interaction between literature study, empirical research and clinical evaluation. Part II describes and evaluates a year-long process of training for caring professionals based on the framework, and summarizes and evaluates particular items of casework. The training was designed to expand the psychological understanding and confidence of the carers involved. Its primary purpose here is to validate the use of the conceptual framework in treatment and support work. Method, documentation and evaluation include tape recordings of the theoretical education and supervision and evaluations of these; participants’ continuous oral and 3 written evaluations; summations and reports of casework sessions; and data from three written questionnaires administered at and after the final seminar. At a scientific level, the primary purpose of this dissertation is to provide further knowledge and understanding of the specific psychological and outer difficulties of refugee and immigrant groups, and promote increased interest in this area of psychology. A further purpose is to describe a practical approach and mode of working in psychotherapy and support work with refugees and immigrants. In practical terms, it is hoped that the dissertation can assist in the development of educational, curative and preventive programs for assuring good mental health and improved social conditions for refugees, immigrants and their children. In turn, this might lead to improved adaptation and an improved social situation for them in their new country. Finally, it is hoped that the psychological knowledge obtained can help prevent and counteract discrimination, prejudice and tension, and lead to more open and sensitive attitudes towards these groups in the societies to which they now belong. 4 To the refugee To the immigrant To their children 5 PREFACE There has always been an acute need for understanding of and insight into the inner difficulties of refugees, immigrants and their children. These difficulties are caused, affected or complicated by fleeing from or leaving a native land, and the changes and conflicts experienced in living in and adapting to a new country. The purpose of this dissertation is to present and attempt to validate a conceptual framework of understanding for psychotherapeutic and related support work. In terms of subject area, the work might be regarded as lying at the interface between clinical psychology and empirical pedagogics. It is the hope of the author that the results of this research can be used to continue to treat, supervise and educate others. I hope to have added to knowledge of the psychology of the refugee, the immigrant, and their children, and look forward to further research in the arena. It would be impossible to acknowledge everyone who has supported me – in different ways – in this endeavor. I will name just a few. First, I want to mention Professor Alf Nilsson, Department of Psychology at Lund University, the supervisor of the research project and dissertation; the refugees and immigrants, and their children, for sharing their inner and outer worlds; my parents, who were both of refugee background, and residents of the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, where I grew up; my colleagues, teachers and supervisors, in particular Gunnela Westlander, Carl Martin Allwood, Carl Otto Jonsson, Björn af Forselles, Inga Sylvander, Merit Hertzman-Ericsson (now deceased), Ulla Bertling and Stina Thyberg, and especially Alice Breuer, Per Stenfelt and Imre Scezsödy, for their belief and encouragement; and, the people – both inside and outside Sweden – who have encouraged me to believe in what I am doing. My special thanks go to Kjell Jönsson, Kjell Öberg, the now-deceased Hans Göran Franck and Arne Trankell, Robert Vargás, and John Giordiano. The process-training program based on the framework, organized in Finland by Åbo Akademi University’s Center for Extension Studies, would never have come about without the steadfast determination of my colleague, Kristina Saraneva. We benefited from the constant involvement of Kerstin Sundman. Margita Vaino authorized and supported the project. By the time of writing, two other training programs have been completed. I want to thank all 6 the professionals participating, and also the individuals with whom they worked. Without their efforts, this part of the project would never have been completed. I thank Kerstin Hallén, Jason Andersson, Jerrold Baldwin and Jon Kimber for their assistance with the manuscript. I also wish to express my gratitude to the island of Lefkada, Greece, where much of this dissertation was written – for the inner peace I found there, and to Sweden – for giving me the security and the opportunity further to develop my work. Finally, I want to thank my sons, Jason and Danjel, for giving me the meaning, will and determination to attempt to make their world and mine more understandable and humane. My thanks to all I have mentioned and those I have not. Binnie Kristal-Andersson 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY ..................................2 PREFACE ...................................5 1. INTRODUCTION ............................9 The need for research ..........................9 Outline of the dissertation .......................10 Casework material ...........................12 2. RESEARCH PLATFORM .......................13 Experience and familiarity with the problem area ...........13 A clinical approach ...........................14 Evaluation according to a transaction model ..............15 PART I – A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ...............17 3. INTRODUCTION TO THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ....18 Identification of significant key dimensions ..............20 Development of the conceptual framework ..............20 Suggested applications

Load more

  385

Copy Link