Using art-based group interventions to support refugees affected by sociocultural trauma

Refugees from non-Western backgrounds often do not find mainstream therapeutic interventions effective not only for the potential cultural and language barriers but also because they are raised in cultures where group identity is more prevalent than individuality. In addition, much of the trauma that refugees experience is sociocultural, which means that it affects, not only individuals, but simultaneously ethnicities, and communities, and disrupts cultural practices and ways of living. Interventions for refugees should therefore embed components to strengthen their cultural identity and integration. In this regard, evidence indicates that creative and culturally appropriate art-based interventions are effective for refugees as the creative process supports them to build bridges with their past and, with the help of the group, process sociocultural trauma from a safe distance. The seminar focuses on the benefits of art-based group interventions, such as creative writing workshops, COURAGE, and the Tree of Life to support refugees’ mental health. It evaluates the use of techniques such as creative writing, collages, and drawings to help refugees to process traumatic episodes, and foster empowering alternative stories and hopes for the future. It discusses the power of storytelling to build connections for refugees in the therapeutic groups as well as with their cultural background, ancestors, and family heritage, and to shape their new identity and connections in the host country