A Psychoanalytic Approach to Refugee Mental Health: Safe Harbor

A Psychoanalytic Approach to Refugee Mental Health reflects on psychoanalytic work with vulnerable people during the refugee crisis.

Chrysi Giannoulaki describes her work as a supervisor of groups of caregivers dealing with the mental health of refugees and occasionally as a psychiatrist of refugees in Moria, Lesvos, and in Athens. The book explores work with complex refugee cases that involve major economic, political, and social issues, with victims of sexual violence, and with unaccompanied minors. Exploring the potential of psychoanalytic theory of trauma and psychosis, clinical psychoanalytic thinking to foster integration, and olerance of the extremely traumatized individual within networks of social relations, the book acts protectively against moments of xenophobia and polarization.

A Psychoanalytic Approach to Refugee Mental Health will be essential reading for psychoanalytically informed mental health professionals, especially those working with refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable patients.

Chrysi Giannoulaki is a psychiatrist and a training analyst of the Hellenic Psychoanalytic Society. She is a full member of the Psychiatry and Art Section of the Hellenic Psychiatric Association, whose actions aim to enhance awareness of racism and xenophobia. Chrysi has been working with refugees since 2016.