La Strada Documentation Center

Human trafficking: Trauma and psychotherapy. A collection of papers

Document number
2996
Date
2013
Title
Human trafficking: Trauma and psychotherapy. A collection of papers
Author/publisher
ASTRA
Availability
View/save PDF version of this document
Document type(s)
Research/Study/Analysis, Training Material/Resources,
Keywords
human trafficking, exploitation, abuse, trauma, PTSD, victims
Summary
These collected papers can be used as a basic theoretical overview ofconcepts and psychological approaches to complex trauma and as a setof recommendations for working with victims. It is good reading not only for psychotherapists but also for other professionals working in the field of mental health and disorders as well as for employees of institutions whose task is to recognize potential trafficking victims and understand the process that underlies reactions of people who had been exposed to the phenomenon that is frequently called modern slavery.

This publication consists of two sections:
- The first section contains conclusions and recommendations written on the basis of content expounded at the international conference ”Contemporary Psycho-Social Challenges in Combating Human Trafficking” and discussions initiated by the presentations. The objective of the conference was to highlight current challenges in combating human trafficking which are seldom addressed by professionals and decision makers, as well as to open up dialogue on significant issues, above all on  approaches offered and models recommended for providing direct psychological support to human trafficking victims. Recommendations contain information about trafficking as a phenomenon,  followed by the definition of trauma and complex trauma, discussion on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD, as well as recommendations for working with victims and understanding complex processes they are going through.
- The second section consists of papers written after training entitled “Human Trafficking and Psychotherapy” organized for psychotherapists, and international conference “Contemporary Psycho-Social Challenges in Combating Human Trafficking”. They were written by international and local experts in the field of psychology and psychotherapy, as well as practitioners with rich experience in  providing psychological support to traumatized persons. In this section of the handbook, we look at complex trauma and the psychological process that occurs as a response to traumatic experiences the victim had been exposed to. The authors do so by presenting their perspective, offering  explanations and recommending techniques which they have tested in their psychotherapeutic practice. Authors whose papers are featured in this collection belong to different psychotherapeutic modalities as part of humanistic and depth orientations.