APPROACHES TO COUNSELLING RESETTLED REFUGEE AND ASYLUM SEEKER SURVIVORS OF ORGANIZED VIOLENCE

Abstract: The number of resettled refugees and asylum claims in minority world countries continues to grow. Some of the individuals and families who arrive in Western countries through the refugee process are survivors of organized violence. Despite the recognition in destination countries that counselling resettled survivors of organized violence necessitates a sensitive and responsible approach, the mental health field is polarized about responsible practice. An increasing number of mental health professionals challenge Western biomedical approaches to counselling, and seek to disrupt dominant notions of trauma and disorder. This article is a review of the literature on the topic of refugee mental health, the current debate in the field, and how this has led to divergent approaches to working with survivors of organized violence. Each year a vast number of people leave their homes in search of safety and stability. Last year alone, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) counted some 42 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. This includes 15.2 million refugees, 827 000 asylum seekers (pending decisions in host countries), and 26 million internally displaced people (UNHCR, 2009b, p. 2). One-fifth of them have settled in the minority, or “industrialized”, world. According to the UNHCR, the number of asylum seekers worldwide rose by 12 % in 2008 (UNHCR, 2009a, p. 3). Canada recently saw a dramatic increase in the number of refugee claims last year, with 36,000 claims filed in 2008-2009 alone – a 30 % increase from 2007-2008 (Immigration and Refugee Board o