Migration, forced or not implies changing cultures and/or
language. Forced migrations are the result of people feeling pushed out of
their cultures and well-known places against their will. Elective migrants are
those who decide to explore a better place for themselves and their families.
From the moment in which the migrant decides to leave the
culture of origin, a new mindset sets in. Defensively she or he may look upon
the new country of residence with optimism and hope.
After departing their land many migrants soon realize that
the new world in which they had placed their hopes makes them sad and even very
depressed. The serious and unpredictable changes that the new culture requires also
forces you to develop new tools to adapt to it and to meet the challenges to
learn new costumes, friends, language, new schooling and to tolerate loses. The overwhelming sense of loss and mourning
may prevent them from functioning as effective parents. Migrants to a new
culture arrive with various tools that are assets acquired in their culture of origin.
Some also bring with them vulnerabilities that will interfere in the new
environment to develop competence to cope.
Migrants that arrive with few assets and many
vulnerabilities e.g. chronic illness, serious traumatic experiences, lack of
education, and language competence, and also have a few protective factors to scaffold
the learning of a new culture, will likely experience a rocky road adapting
into the new culture.
In Psychotherapy, I will explore with you and/or your family
both the assets that you successfully acquired before migration and your
vulnerabilities that handicap your progress. Psychotherapy will help you learn how
to use those tools to help you negotiate the stress of adaptation and how to
deal with your vulnerabilities so you can develop resiliency. [Resilience: is a
broad umbrella that includes a variety of life experience and patterns of
adaptation over time. The umbrella covers observed good functions under
challenging circumstances; observed recovery to normal functioning following
stressor.]
The Therapeutic Methods for Individuals include: Long term
or Short Term Intercultural Focused Psychotherapy with Pharmacological intervention
if needed. Many other methods may be used specifically fitted to your needs may
be recommended after an evaluation.