Healing Refugee Families Through Therapy

The echoes of war, the wrenching loss of a homeland, the disorienting journey to a new world – these experiences leave indelible marks on refugee families. They disrupt the delicate balance of family dynamics, challenge resilience, and often leave deep wounds.

How can we, as clinicians, offer more than just a safe haven, but a pathway to healing and integration?  How can we help these families rebuild not just their lives, but their sense of belonging?

Join us for a crucial Clinical Master Class webinar, “Conceptualising our Work with Refugee Families Affected by Refugee Trauma through the Application of Strategic Family Therapy Principles.”

This is a deep dive into the heart of refugee family therapy, offering invaluable insights into how trauma and loss impact family relationships and the capacity to support one another while rebuilding in Australia.

We’ll explore the complexities of mental health for displaced families and equip you with practical tools and therapy strategies for truly supporting refugee families on their journey toward integration and well-being.

What you will learn:

Elisabeth Shaw, Psychologist and CEO of Relationships Australia (NSW), will explore the impact of traumatic experiences on families and introduce you to the core principles of strategic family therapy techniques. She will provide guidance on case planning and effective referrals, and discuss practical tools and clinical techniques for bringing the client’s broader social network into the therapeutic conversation. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of their suffering within its complex context, facilitating self-understanding and positive behavioural change.  This includes understanding resilience in displaced communities and how to foster it.

Haseeba Shamal, a STARTTS Clinical Social Worker and Clinical Supervisor, will bring these concepts to life through a compelling real-life case study. She will share her experience working with a Palestinian family from Gaza, demonstrating how key strategic family therapy principles – such as therapeutic goals, family hierarchy, matching, reframing, and the intentional use of self in building a therapeutic relationship – can strengthen family dynamics and promote trauma recovery. This session will explore best practices in therapy for trauma survivors and refugee mental health when working with this population.

The webinar will conclude with a live Q&A panel discussion featuring Elisabeth Shaw and Haseeba Shamal, facilitated by STARTTS’ CEO and Clinical Psychologist, Jorge Aroche. This is your opportunity to engage with the experts, ask specific questions related to psychological support and counselling for trauma, and gain further clarity on the challenges and opportunities in this vital area of work.

Why attend?

This masterclass is essential for clinicians working with refugee families. You will walk away with:

• A deeper understanding of the impact of trauma on family systems: Learn how experiences of organised violence and displacement affect family relationships and individual well-being.
• Practical knowledge of strategic family therapy principles: Discover how to apply these principles in the context of refugee families, including goal setting, addressing family hierarchy, and utilising matching and reframing therapy strategies. Remember, all family therapy principles share common ground: Family members are connected, family habits influence its members’ behaviours, and intervention should target the problem.
• Strategies for incorporating the social network: Understand the importance of considering the client’s broader social context and bringing this network into the therapeutic conversation for supporting families and promoting integration and well-being.
• Insights into the power of the therapeutic relationship: Recognise the crucial role of the therapist’s use of self in establishing a strong and supportive therapeutic alliance.
• Real-world application through case examples: Learn from real-life examples of how strategic family therapy techniques principles can be applied to strengthen family dynamics and promote emotional healing.

Join us to gain the knowledge and tools necessary to provide effective, trauma recovery-informed care to refugee families, fostering resilience in displaced communities.

Register now and empower yourself to make a real difference in their lives: https://www.startts.org.au/training/live-webinars/strategic-family-therapy-webinar/