The psychology of the migrant and some therapeutic implications

Gorlee, M.J. (Maria)

Submission type

Oral and Poster

Scheduled

Parallel Session III: Derkinderen kamer, 08-06-2018, 13:00 - 14:30

Kernwoorden

Migration (process) Identity Psychotherapeutic relationship

Onderzoeksgebied

Therapeutic relationship

Doelgroep

mensen met weinig ervaring met het onderwerp

Workshop

What is migration and when can we speak about migration in a psychological sense? Does migration always have a traumatic impact on the migrant? Or on the ones he/she leaves behind? What are the factors that contribute to a successful migration? From a psychoanalytical perspective migration puts a heavy strain on the sense of identity of the migrant. Selman Akhtar calls this the third individuation. Migration also can lead to a deep sense of loss, great sadness, conflicting loyalties and great anxieties. The migrant often deals with this by, for example, idealising the abandoned homeland or over adapting to the new environment. For the psychotherapist it is important to be able to recognize the intrapsychic impact of migration in his migrant-patients in order to help facilitate the 3 phases of the migration process as described by Leon and Rebeca Greenberg (1989). Often forgotten are the ones left behind. The movie “El Ciudadano Ilustre” (Cohn & Duprat, 2016) shows us how migration, even after more than 40 years, has a tremendous impact on the ones who stayed and were abandoned.