Transnational Counseling for Mass Trauma

Abstract

Abstract. The authors examined the experiences of nine American doctoral students completing a clinical psychology practicum in a primary care clinic in Blanchard, Haiti. This training followed natural and human-made disasters that have traumatized Haitians since the 2010 earthquake. The clinical psychology training program partnered with Haitian medical staff and the trainees provided diverse services, incorporating the use of community-based translators: individual counseling; art and play therapy groups for children; psychoeducational classes; and support groups for diabetic, cardiac, and sickle cell disorder patients. In addition, they conducted research on child disaster trauma assessment and engaged in community resilience-building conversations. The trainees wrote daily self-reflections recounting their challenges, cultural and economic differences, successes, expectations, fears, and personal and professional development. Ninety daily reflection notes were coded applying the consensual qualitative research method. A coding team identified domains and their respective categories/themes in relation to two research questions addressing doctoral clinical psychology trainees’ experiences of a practicum in Haiti and their Haitian clients’ mass trauma and responses to counseling interventions. The domains related to experiences of the Haiti practicum were Impact of Practicum Experiences in Haiti on Doctoral Trainees and Use of Translators in Global Mental Health Practice. The domains related to intervention experiences in this international trauma-affected community were Transnational Disaster Counseling, Respect for Human and Civic Rights, and Haitian Client-Specific Practice. The findings have direct implications for training in transnational disaster counseling and accessibility to services.

Children’s disaster trauma in Haiti: Configurations of similarities and dissimilarities in experiences.

“…The type of infrastructures and their quality determine the intensity of how a disaster has affected the people. Variability in responding to disaster victims, based on cumulative exposure in severity or intensity and in consideration of multiple traumatic experiences, is more effective than a uniform response strategy (O’Grady & Orton, 2016; Roysircar et al, 2021). For example, it is important to consider contexts that the people of Haiti have been exposed to before a particular disaster: poverty, instability, and governmental neglect of infrastructure and citizens’ well-being.…”

“…There are corruptions and inadequacies in the distributions of supplies to meet the community’s basic needs. The unfortunate post-disaster adversities in the family and the community in the form of violence and neglect are crucial in counseling intervention with a community after a disaster (Roysircar et al, 2021).…”

“…Sensing and responding to the emotional needs of children by either encouraging them to talk about the disaster or by shielding them from information that they do not need can move children toward recovery. Restoring normalizing contexts, routines, and activities, such as schooling, playing, group gatherings, primary medical care, and activities that nurture hope, meaning, as well as a sense of agency and community, can also encourage recovery following a disaster (Roysircar et al, 2021). The restoration of cultural and community practices, including religious practices, supports this recovery.…”

“…We respect and adapt to Haitian ways of knowing and meaning-making when they prefer to integrate indigenous or specific religious practices based on their belief system around healing (Roysircar, 2013). We resist reproducing U.S. “genderism or feminism” that contribute, in fact, to neo-colonization; instead, we influence U.S. models of structured interventions and the delivery process (Roysircar et al, 2021). For instance, we listen to local priorities, strengthen community resources, develop endogenous solutions, and emphasize indigenous forms of helping, healing, and social integration (Roysircar et al, 2021).…”

“…We resist reproducing U.S. “genderism or feminism” that contribute, in fact, to neo-colonization; instead, we influence U.S. models of structured interventions and the delivery process (Roysircar et al, 2021). For instance, we listen to local priorities, strengthen community resources, develop endogenous solutions, and emphasize indigenous forms of helping, healing, and social integration (Roysircar et al, 2021). Most Haitians are receptive to help because there is interdependence of understanding about health between Haiti and the United States through global networks of influence and exchange, live and online.…”