ABSTRACT
Angie Doran reflects on the experiences of parents who have migrated to a new country and the impact this can have on their approach to parenting and the family they create. In her role as a counsellor and psychotherapist in Sixth Form colleges in London, the author frequently works with young people whose parents have migrated for asylum or economic reasons to this country. Doran’s clients often use the therapy space to explore their feelings around their heritage and their family’s experiences of integration in the UK, as well as the emotional tensions that persist in relation to the country of origin and the significant relationships that have been left behind. The chapter includes Doran’s reflections on her birth family’s story of relocation to Malaysia (then British Malaya) and the numerous personal associations that continue to resonate for her in the stories told by her clients. Doran includes case material based on her work with adolescents to illustrate some of the themes she discusses.
