Reading and Rubin, ‘Advocacy and Empowerment’, 2011

Romy Reading and Lisa Rubin, ‘Advocacy and Empowerment: Group Therapy for LGBT Asylum Seekers’, 2011 Traumatology 17 (2), pp 86-98

Abstract

In countries worldwide, LGBT individuals are subject to persecution and discrimination, including grave human rights violations based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Asylum provides a mechanism for LGBT individuals fleeing such persecution to legally remain in the United States. However, asylum is not guaranteed, and the asylum-seeking process may be particularly challenging for individuals with complex trauma histories. Although many LGBT asylum seekers are referred to individual psychotherapy by their legal counsel to prepare for the asylum process and to mitigate risks for retraumatization, many decline due to fear, shame, and cultural barriers, among other factors. Thus, we offer a model of group therapy for LGBT asylum seekers, rooted in multicultural and empowerment frameworks, which aims to address the unique concerns and challenges faced by LGBT asylum seekers. These include recovery from the effects of complex trauma, managing the stress of immigration and acculturation, minimizing the risk for retraumatization which may occur during the asylum-seeking process, and overcoming cultural obstacles to individual psychotherapy. We review and integrate empirical and theoretical literature on the mental health of immigrants and asylum seekers, LGBT mental health, and group therapy for trauma, LGBT individuals, and asylum seekers to offer theoretical support for the value of group therapy for LGBT asylum seekers. Research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of these group interventions. We offer recommendations for research along with suggestions for addressing the practical challenges encountered in working with LGBT asylum seekers.