Refugees often carry complex trauma, having fled war, persecution, or displacement. Their mental health needs are deeply tied to cultural identity and loss. Therapists must navigate this with extreme care.
Cultural humility means acknowledging the resilience embedded in refugee communities while also recognizing the ongoing impact of marginalization and systemic barriers in their new environment.
Providers should avoid pathologizing survival behaviors or applying Western trauma models too rigidly. Instead, they can ask: “How do people in your community deal with this kind of pain?”
A humble approach validates the client’s coping mechanisms and opens space for culturally meaningful healing—whether through community, faith, ritual, or storytelling.
Kanishka