The Connecticut Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology
Presents
"The Refugee Experience:
Illness vs. Resilience”
Ingi Soliman, PhD
Saturday March 16, 2019
10:30 am – 12:30 pm
The New Haven Lawn Club
193 Whitney Ave, New Haven
Lunch will follow for all attendees
Summary
Refugees are often viewed through the lens of trauma; however, this “illness” model can be in direct contradiction to a refugee’s experience of survival and resilience. Arab American/Middle Eastern culture in particular often downplays mental illness and the need for intervention. This presents a challenge to the therapeutic alliance from the mainstream western perspective. This presentation explores the refugee experience from the perspective of the therapeutic relationship. Case presentations will be utilized illustrating dilemmas that arise in the therapeutic dyad addressing the tendency of refugees to feel over-pathologized and how therapists may identify resilience vs. mental illness from a cultural perspective.
Speaker
Dr Ingi Soliman received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology From The New School for Social research. She is currently a senior psychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan and has a private practice in White Plains, NY and Westport, CT where she sees adults, children and families struggling with life transitions, including refugee status, immigration, parenthood, divorce and emerging adulthood in addition to individuals with anxiety and eating disorders. She is fluent in Arabic, English and French and has served as a consultant to refugee agencies and resettlement programs in the NY & CT, specifically for Middle Eastern/Arab refugees and asylum seekers.
Location
The New Haven Lawn Club
193 Whitney Ave, New Haven
Conference Schedule
10:00 – 10:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast
10:30 – 12:30 Presentation
12:30 – 1:30 Lunch for All Attendees
To Register and Pay
Register and pay online with your credit card or paypal.
To pay by check, print and fill out the registration form and mail with your check to Conference Registrar, Matt Brennan, LCSW, 738 Townsend Ave, New Haven, CT 06512 Mailed registrations must be postmarked by March 4 to qualify for early registration discount.
Refunds will be given in full if the Conference Registrar, Matt Brennan, LCSW, is contacted at Matt Brennan no later than the Monday before the conference.
Click HERE for MS Word version of the mail in registration form.
Members - remember to log in to register as a member.
Recommended Readings
Sim, A., Bowes, L., Gardner, F., (2019.) "The Promotive Effects of Social Support for Parental Resilience in a Refugee Context: a Cross-Sectional Study with Syrian Mothers in Lebanon." Prevention Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-019-0983-0
Juang, L. P., et. al. (2018) "Using Attachment and Relational Perspectives to Understand Adaptation and Resilience Among Immigrant and Refugee Youth." American Psychologist, Vol. 73, No. 6, 797—811. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000286
Suárez-Orozco, C., et. al. (2018) "An Integrative Risk and Resilience Model for Understanding the Adaptation of Immigrant-Origin Children and Youth."
American Psychologist, Vol. 73, No. 6, 781—796. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000265
Participants
The conference is appropriate for professionals interested in the practice of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. The instructional level of this conference is intermediate.
Learning Objectives
Participants will learn:
- Develop an in depth understanding of the refugee experience and how cultural norms and biases of a refugee’s native culture may impact their receptiveness and capacity for treatment in a western host culture.
- Develop a culturally informed lens with which to engage in therapeutic treatment with members of the refugee population, particularly those of Middle Eastern/Arab descent.
- Explore one’s own bias based on personal experiences and professional training in the dominant culture and challenge oneself to shed an illness model for a more resilience based model of case conceptualization.
Continuing Education
This conference has been approved for for 2 continuing education hours (NASW & Div. 39)
Division 39 is committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in its continuing education activities. Participants are asked to be aware of needs for privacy and confidentiality throughout the program. If program content becomes stressful, participants are encouraged to process these feelings during discussion periods. If participants have special needs, we will attempt to accommodate them.
Please address questions, concerns and any complaints to Ellen Nasper, PhD, at Ellen Nasper.
Art: Arabesque plate from the collection of Ingi Soliman
