LAUSR

The primary motivation that drives refugees to seek psychotherapy is the asylum-seeking process that requires that they prove a level of persecution in their home countries or risk deportation. Refugees are uninsured and lack access to mental healthcare; they often seek psychotherapeutic services in response to recommendations from their immigration attorneys during the asylum-seeking process. If a clinician can help secure asylum status with the biography of trauma while simultaneously prioritizing treatment of trauma-related mental healthcare needs, then the opportunity to begin the cultivation of an ongoing psychotherapeutic alliance presents itself. The reason refugees continue psychotherapy after they are granted asylum is linked to effective clinical decision-making before, during, and after asylum status. This is a composite case study, which prioritizes the ethical considerations involved in protecting clients’ overall well-being with regards to balancing advocacy and clinical work. This composite case study is comprised of more than one case.