Building seven bridges with young asylum seekers living in exile in the UK (Part 1)

This first paper focuses on the key themes that emerge in work with young asylum seekers and refugees and on our assessment of the needs of individual young asylum seekers, alongside the ways in which we meet the needs of these young people given the holistic, integrated and developmental approach of the Baobab Centre. The fact that psychotherapeutic methods are useful in this context and the need to have flexible approach to psychotherapy in our context are two ideas explored here. This paper will explore how we can slowly build sturdy and protective connections during and after the developmental years following experiences of sequential violence. This means building bridges and links within the internal worlds of these young people between: (1) different aspects of themselves that emerge after violence and loss; (2) themselves and their peers; (3) listening adults; (4) various social influences; (5) cultural influences; (6) their past, present and future lives; (7) links with local, national and international communities all of which are addressed via a ‘Transitional Non-Residential Therapeutic Community’. A case example will illustrate how this work may take place.