Therapists' Experience of Working With Refugees and Asylum Seekers Who Have Been Tortured: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Objective: The novel concept of "the trauma therapists" journey' during their work with formerly tortured refugees and asylum seekers is introduced, mapped, and explicated for a convenience sample of 10 psychological therapists/practitioners who work in the United Kingdom. Method: This study operationalized semistructured interviews that were focused on therapists' experiences of providing trauma psychotherapy to sanctuary seekers who presented to a range of psychological therapy services. The methods of interpretative phenomenological analysis were deemed appropriate for use to explore their experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Results: Four superordinate themes were conceptualized, namely: (a) questioning self-preparedness, (b) the challenge of trauma wrapped in complexity, (c) psychological flexibility that arises from the therapist's role and internal conflict, and (d) personal impact. The empirical findings suggest that therapists who work with sanctuary seekers who have been tortured encounter a complex range of experiences. These include frequently finding themselves engaged in activities that go beyond and are in conflict with their expectations of their professional role, and, in many cases, this engagement results in vicarious trauma and burnout. Conclusions: All practitioners communicated in some detail how their work with sanctuary seekers, who had experienced torture and presented with trauma, affected them to varying degrees. The research has led to recommendations, which include the prioritization of self-care, multicultural competencies, continual development, and ensuring the availability of appropriate professional supervision support as part of ethical trauma practice. The clinical significance of the study includes its provision of in-depth insight into the lived experiences, complexities, challenges, and impact of trauma work on psychological practitioners who work with refugees and asylum seekers who have been tortured. Furthermore, the findings from this study have implications for future trauma practice and research, as they confirm the importance of incorporating self-care and continual personal and professional development of multicultural competencies into the therapists' practice. They also highlight that appropriate professional supervision and support must be provided as part of ethical trauma practice when therapists work with displaced individuals who present with experiences of torture and trauma.