Use of film & creative media to liberate young refugee and asylum seeking people from disempowering identities Fri Sept 16th 2016, AFT conference Gillian Hughes Consultant Clinical Psychologist Child and Family Refugee Team Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust Our team & who we see – proportion are refugee adolescents without parents

Summary Young asylum seekers and disempowering identities – impact on wellbeing How to respond as practitioners: Use of film and creative media Drawing on…. Narrative approaches Liberation practices Community psychology

Stories told about refugees and asylum seekers and by them Foucault (1980) – social discourses shape our relationships with each other, and the rules governing social behaviour (legal system, govt. policy). Negative discourses about refugees become ‘internalised’ (White & Epston,1990) Not welcoming: Brexit campaign, Attitudes in the media about asylum seekers shape voters wishes: ‘dole scroungers’ and ‘illegal immigrants’, which influences govt. policy. Needs of the labour market dictate the messages govt. are giving out.

Context creates negative definitions of identity: Structure of mental health services Individual approach within mental health services Re-telling traumatic stories, ‘victim’ identity Legal and political system Right to be in UK being questioned & not being believed in court Public discourses ‘bogus asylum seekers’ ‘dole scroungers’ Brexit campaign, the refugee ‘problem’ People often arrive at our service suicidal – negative discourses internalised & identity crisis

Personal stories contribute to emotional distress and feed negative identity definitions Witnessing trauma in home country Loss of family and home, worries about those left behind, survivor guilt Traumatic journeys to the UK Settling in a new country without the support of extended family, loss of cultural anchors What is going on? Will talk about what is going on psychologically for these young people, how related to identity. How we might helpfully respond – as people offering support within the health, social care and legal systems. Talk about a particular approach our team have used

Psychological well being & functioning ‘Negative identity definitions’ Stories lived & told IDENTITY Psychological well being & functioning Huge emphasis on trauma – more complex

How do we respond to support emotional wellbeing? Use of film and creative media Preferred identity definitions: constructing and ‘re-counting’ their own story Creating a document/record to share Opportunities for honouring and appreciation – communities of support Potential for influencing others, systems – social action

Guiding Principles Narrative approaches Liberation practices Community psychology

Narrative approaches Create a ‘safe place to stand’ before addressing trauma directly. Put people in touch with hopes, aspirations, values for living. Emphasise ‘subjugated narratives’ (White, 2005), stories of survival Audience for preferred stories - ‘spreading the news’, (Freedman & Combs, 1996) Narrative approach – help people know how to go on Subjugated narratives – journeys to UK, extraordinary stories of survival Community resilience – eg. ‘barking like a dog’ (Pashtun) Spreading the news eg. court reports

How to respond? Liberation Practices Witnessing: name, and highlight injustice, (Martín-Baró, 1996) - place distress in context to avoid ‘internalising discourses’ ‘Community resilience’ and ‘cultural virtues’ – how do people practice resilience and how developed in context of history & culture (Afuape & Hughes, 2016) Coming alongside people, holding our expertise lightly (Hughes & Bisimwa, 2016) Context: Social, political and cultural

How to respond? Community Psychology Bring people together, create connections Social action psychotherapy (Holland, 1992) Re-position people as having something to contribute.

Examples of practice Writing Pottery Film (Richmond Park project)

Writing As therapy, and to inspire other young people at Tavistock. (Maya) Akala workshop Letters to Calais migrant camp (Faridun)

Plamedi’s rap I have defeated them all, but have not won the war. Still struggle to survive, families struggle for their lives. Tryna get out of jail, my life’s been put on bail. Tryna get my message across, but I’m locked in a box. No job, no money, so I can’t help Mummy. Soon come I’ll be making big p’s so I can help my real g’s. Once they notice me the government will see poverty is pain and pain is not a game.

Zubair’s rap I think our country sinks beneath the yoke Power and money, it divides up our folk There are powerful winners and poor losers In a better world, we would all be choosers Who is to say people can’t change? People can rise

Pots of Life

Richmond Park Young people create their own story Shared experience Fun (picnic, football) A document to share with others – ‘spreading the news’ (Freedman & Combs, 1996) Hand held cameras, prompts

Film made by the young people

What the day enabled ‘Richmond Park was fantastic, fantastic….’ Gave the young people a voice Environment that connected them with home Fun, created sense of community Re-positioned them as having something to contribute ‘I got to interview my friends. We talked about how to help people who have just arrived in the UK. It was good.’ ‘It was a natural place because when we used to live back in Afghanistan, we lived in the countryside… It reminded me of what we had. And we talked about how life was there and when we came here, how life is here.’ ‘We changed a lot. I feel much better because I haven’t been for a long time outside of London. When I’m in London, I just feel bored, tired. This was much better. You get some new fresh air because when I came back I was saying ok, I’m fresh now, I can do whatever I want.’ ‘I also liked taking pictures - a lot of good memories from there. It was nice.’ ‘Everyone had a good time. When we came back, we went to one of my friend’s house, and we stayed there and talked about the things that we did. And we had pictures from there, on our mobile phones – a lot of pictures, a lot of memories. We all talked about it afterwards.’

References Afuape, T. & Hughes, G. (2016) (Eds.), Liberation Practices: Towards Emotional Wellbeing Through Dialogue. London: Routledge. (Chapters: Hughes & Bismwa; Clayton & Hughes) Denborough, D. (2008). Collective Narrative Practice: Responding to individuals, groups, and communities who have experienced trauma. Dulwich Centre Publications, Adelaide. Holland, S. (1992) ‘From social abuse to social action’, in Ussher, J. and Nicholson, P. (eds), Gender Issues in Clinical Psychology, London, Routledge, 68–77

References cont. Hughes, G (2014) Finding a voice through ‘The Tree of Life’: A strength-based approach to mental health for refugee children and families in schools. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Vol 19(1) 139–153. Hughes, G. & Kaur, P. (2014) ‘Young men from refugee communities score goals for their future using the Team of Life’. Context, 134, 25-31. Martίn-Barό, Ignacio. (1996). Writing for a Liberation Psychology. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.