This free session was the third of ACAMH’s Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Special Interest Group Monthly seminars.
Slides Kate Daniels
Slides Julie Reilly
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With large numbers of displaced Ukrainians coming to the UK Kate Daniels, Systemic Psychotherapist and Senior Lecturer at Salomons Institute of Applied Psychology wanted to explore the possibility of qualified Family Therapists helping refugees settle and feel welcomed in this country. Following the response teams of Systemic Therapists have delivered face to face and online workshops for people hosting Ukrainians with a view to helping them prepare for the task and to support them throughout the process. This webinar discusses what has been helpful, what’s been learnt, and future planning.
About the event
Kate Daniels, Systemic Psychotherapist and Senior Lecturer at Salomons Institute of Applied Psychology describes the response of the Association of Family Therapy to support Hosts of Ukrainian Families
Prompted by the huge response to displaced Ukrainians coming to the UK in April, Kate placed an advert in the Association for Family Therapy (AFT) newsletter to explore the possibility of members of the Association volunteering their systemic skills to support refugee agencies in the tremendous work they do helping refugees settle and feel welcomed in this country. Over 160 AFT members responded to the request in the newsletter. The initial aim of the project was to prepare hosts and offer support, reducing the risk of hosting arrangements breaking down. Future plans include extending the project to support work with refugees from all countries.
Description of the response. Since April, small teams of Systemic therapists around England and Northern Ireland have engaged with refugee agencies of all sizes, as well as with resettlement officers in local authorities and with civil servants. Teams have delivered face to face and online workshops for people hosting Ukrainians displaced from their country with a view to helping them prepare for the task and to support them throughout the process.
The workshops have included issues such as:
- Creating helpful boundaries and house rules
- Understanding and working with cultural and family differences
- Communication and resolving differences
- Accommodating to different parenting styles
- Thinking about the needs of children in the joint household
- Understanding and responding to distress and trauma
- Looking after yourself
- When and how to seek help.
Julie Reilly, Systemic and Family Psychotherapist/Psychological Therapist, Therapeutic Services Team at The Refugee Council. Julie is a member of AFT and UKCP and has worked across corporate, public, private, and statutory sectors. Her career started as the European Human Resources Director for a global financing company where she helped to grow a start-up from two people to over 500 people across 15 countries. Notably she was one of a small number of women at that time who held the position of Board Member in the UK. This led to a deep interest in organisational development and how people are influenced by systems and can influence change in systems. Pursuing a career in psychology Julie joined Relate working predominantly with couples in the context of domestic violence. She led on the development of a Relate young people and family counselling service in Berkshire. Julie held the position of Trustee for Berkshire Family Mediation Services and helped to develop and deliver training to parents who had separated, where violence and abuse were factors, to support their on-going relationships with their children. A long career followed in CAMHS Tier 3 services where she introduced family therapy clinics, group work and systemic ideas into the mix of existing modalities always keen to bring in the voice of the relational nature of distress and trauma and change. Julie is currently working at the Refugee Council with Asylum Seekers who have been placed in London Hotels and in the Kent barrack facilities and is a member of the AFT group supporting hosts and Ukrainians. Julie has a love of all things “family” including her own, enjoys walking along the beach, swimming, yoga, cooking and a nice glass of red with friends.
About the ‘ACEs SIG Monthly Seminars’
Everyone is welcome to our ‘ACEs SIG Monthly Seminars’ are free online webinars offering insights into the latest evidence-base around ACEs topic base. They are organised by the ACAMH ACE’s Special Interest Group. This SIG was established by ACAMH with representatives from related organisations, to help integrate and develop research and critical understanding of the complex nature of Adversity in Childhood, formulated as ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences – ACEs’ and the implication for practitioners across services for children and young people. The ACEs SIG is free to join, do please consider joining.
