Systemic and Narrative Work with Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (The Systemic Thinking and Practice Series)

Systemic and Narrative Work with Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children: Stories of Relocation provides a contextualised, research-based understanding of how to enhance and support the emotional health and well-being of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

The framework presented in this book is an innovative intervention that enhances the well-being of children who have experienced trauma by improving the therapeutic abilities for all who support and care for them. This book presents the evidence base for this new systemic and narrative trauma-informed framework of care, creates a wider understanding of working with trauma responses in unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and offers coherence for practitioners wanting to use this approach. The authors provide a physiological view, as well as identify embodied aspects of trauma experience, and describe a narrative approach developed from a clinical understanding of trauma, as well as presenting the words of children who took part in the project. Creating a common multi-disciplinary language, this approach can be used to improve coherence, coordination, and excellence within the whole system.

This book is essential reading for all practitioners working with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. It will also be of interest to students and trainees of social work and other mental health disciplines, as well as other professionals seeking to understand the needs of this group.

Ana Draper, DSysPsych (Doctorate in Systemic Psychotherapy), is a consultant systemic psychotherapist and supervisor at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation trust, UK, Founding Member of Improved Futures, and CMM fellow.

Elisa Marcellino is a clinical, counselling and health psychologist (HCPC) and CMM Fellow. Elisa works as senior clinician in a South East London National Health Trust.

Samantha Thomson is a systemic psychotherapist and family therapist in a South East London National Health Trust, and CMM fellow.