Working with immigrants and refugees in psychodynamic psychotherapy

Abstract Psychodynamic psychotherapy with immigrants, refugees, and their children requires an in-depth understanding of the role of sociocultural factors in shaping intrapsychic and interpersonal processes. This chapter focuses on the context of migration, acculturation, social location, bicultural and bilingual identity, and traumatic stress while examining the overlaps and distinctions among the experiences of immigrants and refugees. There is an emphasis on the dynamic and fluid nature of cultural identity development, which is negotiated across multiple contexts over the course of an individual’s lifetime. Considerations for psychotherapy, such as the importance of mourning, separation, loss, and trauma, are explored from a culturally informed psychoanalytic perspective.