> Deb Gould is a STARTTS Clinical Psychologist and clinical supervisor.

We might not consciously parent or teach for resilience, but it is a wonderful outcome of these processes that a child grows into an identity and is able to deal with adversity. What happens, however, if one is born into extreme adversity and the conditions for developing resilience are threatened? How can we as counsellors and educators be part of a second chance for refugee children?

In counselling as in the school environment, the necessity of a particular context is clear; this context is attuned to the child’s needs and enables the expression of their strengths. Educational processes aimed at developing skills are, by themselves, resilience building, because they provide an increased sense of mastery and identity. Programmes for children unable to process at the level of their peers might not focus directly on the 'missing' skill but rather on reinforcing those areas of mastery that the child already enjoys.

Complementing this context are particular programmes or strategies that are resilience building. These are structured and require our engagement and commitment. More targeted programmes or strategies are helpful because they:

• Foster social connection. This is facilitated by modelling as well particular activities aimed at developing positive peer relationships. For some children one-to-one relationships with peers, helpers or mentors might be necessary. Apart from improving social skills, children's capacity to access support from adults is also enhanced through these activities.
• Enhance mastery through facilitating developmentally appropriate skills. Physical and non-verbal activities are regarded as being essential and for some age groups these would be prioritised over the exploring or sharing of feelings and experiences.
• Provide for the development of particular skills e.g. Stress management.
• Facilitate development of cultural and personal identity.

Underlying all of this is an assumption of hope - our efforts need to model our own resilience in the face of 'hopeless cases'.

To conclude, some thoughts worth considering: what programmes do I have in my school that would meet these guidelines? How can I use these programmes to empower parents? How can I convey hope?

> Deb Gould
Deb is a Clinical Psychologist and clinical supervisor at STARTTS. She was trained in South Africa and has over 20 years experience as a clinician and supervisor in the psychotherapy field.

© 2009 STARTTS  Contact: hintsforhealing@startts.org.au