ABSTRACT

Most experienced psychotherapists will agree with the assumption that psychotherapy is more likely to be successful if the client feels safe with the therapist, within what we will call the “safe therapeutic sanctuary.” This chapter will examine the ingredients necessary for making a safe therapeutic sanctuary for asylum seekers and refugees. Working with this specific category of traumatized people, who have been uprooted from their familiar cultural environment, brings specific challenges. Because many of them live under unfavorable conditions and in a social environment that often is not exactly welcoming, there are added difficulties in creating an atmosphere of safety during the therapeutic sessions.