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

The context and trajectory of development

Development makes sense in a cultural context where children are provided opportunities to develop particular, necessary capabilities. War decreases those factors stimulating growth (for example, education) and increases factors that require fear-based adaptation (for example, stress and trauma). Development swerves off track.

We see the effects of this in a number of areas: delays in current developmental stage; remnants of previous developmental challenges that are not yet resolved (particularly with emotional regulation); and regression to behaviours appropriate to previous stages.

Between the ages of about 6 and 12, children learn the formal skills of their culture. They begin to feel self-satisfaction with mastery of particular tasks - it helps when others praise but the big pleasure is internal. Robbed of opportunities for mastery, refugee children often develop a sense of inferiority along with increasing anxiety: “I will never learn to read. I am dumb".

Attending school becomes another source of anxiety for children who associate separation from parents with fear – for their own safety or that of their parents. This is particularly true for children who spent early childhoods in refugee camps.

Whether or not the child has approached mastery, the adolescent is challenged to develop a sense of identity and role. In all cultures, many roles are available for incorporation into a coherent self-image (e.g. oldest son, student, athlete). In some cultures, this stage involves a separation from family towards independence/individuation.   In others, it involves filling a more or less prescribed role within the family. Adjustment in Australia might involve adopting the former position - this might entail the kinds of separations from family and culture that threaten tradition resulting in both family and identity conflict. And let's not forget the hornet's nest of emergent sexuality!

When scholars present for counselling, they are struggling and developing; it is important to assist them through a modality that will be congruent with the natural process of their current developmental challenges while being aware of the impacts of their experiences on earlier stages.  

In the next edition, I will share how you could incorporate this perspective in your work as school counsellors, and also explore the impact of trauma through a diagnostic lens.  

> 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