Hughes Gillian
Child and Family Refugee Service, Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust, UK.
Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2014 Jan;19(1):139-53. doi: 10.1177/1359104513476719. Epub 2013 Feb 26.
The Child and Family Refugee Service at the Tavistock Centre in London has run a series of 'Tree of Life' groups for both parents and children in schools. The groups were developed in response to a concern about the majority of psychological treatments, which focus predominantly on vulnerability factors in refugee populations, and the effect that this can have on those they are attempting to help. In addition, these are modelled on western assumptions, which do not adequately take account of culture. The Tree of Life groups have provided an alternative to traditional mental health services, which many refugee families find hard to access because of perceived stigma and lack of knowledge about what is on offer. The groups employed a strength-based narrative methodology, using the tree as a creative metaphor, which enabled parents and children to develop empowering stories about their lives, which were rooted in their cultural and social histories. From this secure base, participants were able to develop shared, culturally congruent solutions to their problems. The groups have been found to benefit parents and children alike, as well as the school communities in which they have taken place.
伦敦塔维斯托克中心的儿童与家庭难民服务机构在学校为家长和孩子开展了一系列“生命之树”团体活动。这些团体活动的开展是为了回应人们对大多数心理治疗方法的担忧，这些方法主要关注难民群体中的脆弱因素，以及这可能对他们试图帮助的人产生的影响。此外，这些方法是基于西方的假设，没有充分考虑到文化因素。“生命之树”团体活动为传统心理健康服务提供了一种替代方案，许多难民家庭由于感受到耻辱以及对所提供的服务缺乏了解，很难获得传统心理健康服务。这些团体活动采用了基于优势的叙事方法，将树用作一种富有创意的隐喻，使家长和孩子能够围绕他们的生活创作赋予力量的故事，这些故事扎根于他们的文化和社会历史。在此稳固基础上，参与者能够针对他们的问题制定出共同的、符合文化的解决方案。结果发现，这些团体活动使家长和孩子都受益，同时也使开展活动的学校社区受益。
