ABSTRACT
This book offers a unique angle of vision from which to consider how mental health professionals can respond effectively to the psychological needs of communities displaced by war and other forms of political violence. The view represents a departure from the medical model that has guided most mental health research and intervention with refugees. That model emphasizes the provision by highly trained professionals of clinicbased services such as psychotherapy and psychiatric medication. The focus is on healing or ameliorating symptoms of psychological distress within individuals, with little attention paid to mending damaged social relations within communities, or to strengthening naturally occurring resources within families and communities that could facilitate healing and adaptation.
