Compare And Contrast The Narrative And Systemic Approaches With Refugee Populations

Narrative and Systemic Approaches with Refugee Populations

Colleen Cummings
SOWK 5208 - 090
August 7, 2013
Narrative and Systemic Approaches with Refugee Populations
In today’s world millions of displaced people have had to flee or have been forced to leave their homes. These people may be internally displaced within their own borders or living in another country with refugee status, having left due to war, natural disasters, shifts in political allegiances, ethnic conflicts, and more. It is important that practitioners and professionals be aware of the best practices with this population because once granted refugee status in the U.S., the country has taken
541). This systems approach views the behavior and problems in context, focusing on problems arising because of the interaction of the systems rather than on problems within a person. This aligns with best practice found in Kelley’s (1994) search of the literature, noting that problem-focused approaches are more useful for refugee populations than are uncovering therapies. This approach focuses intervention of systemic and interpersonal factors rather than intrapsychic factors and is less intrusive for refugees who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), allowing them to see problem resolution and recognize it was something over which they had no
Elbert (2004) explains, “in exposure therapy, the patient is requested to repeatedly talk about the traumatic event in detail while re-experiencing all emotions associated with the event” (p. 580). By coupling this approach with narrative techniques, the client focuses not on a single defining event of their life, but on constructing a narration of their life from birth to the present. This approach reduces symptoms from the habituation of emotional responses in exposure and by replacing a fragmented reality with a full narrative of one’s