Economic Growth Cambodia Project #4959

Arts Therapy Clinic-Children in Crisis-CAMBODIA

by The Ragamuffin Project

Project Report | Feb 12, 2018
Vital Care - Arts Therapy Supervision for Staff Supporting Children in Crisis

By Carrie Herbert | Director of Arts Therapy Services

Vital Care - Arts Therapy Supervision for Staff Supporting Children in Crisis

In Ragamuffin it is essential that Arts Therapists and social workers are supported through supervision as they work with complex and challenging situations of trauma and crisis.

"Cambodia is full of sadness because of armed conflict and social problems. It is very valuable to have Arts Therapy supervision…it can help reveal and begin to heal hearts that are hurt or broken. My feelings became much easier and lighter. I found strength and insight to care for the children and my own children. I made sense of the past and what I face now" (Social worker/counsellor)

Professional supervision is as important as programme delivery. The opportunity to reflect and process the impact of the work on our organisations, and ourselves is critical in sustaining caregivers in their work. The human resource on the frontline of care is an organisation’s most vital asset and the wellbeing of this resource when dealing with daily trauma and crisis in their work must be carefully considered.

According to Nelson (2014) for persons who work with trauma or crisis, the most important part of coping with the intensity of the work is acknowledging that it will affect you. Recognising that it is ‘normal’ to be affected by this type of work is the most important coping skill that we can give to ourselves. Understanding that we are not alone and that feelings of outrage, horror, shock, sadness, or vulnerability are normal, is important.

Through regular clinical supervision we enable therapists to feel safe enough to express the true impact of working with clients. For example, when a child has been sexually abused or is subject to violence, the first priority is safety for the client and emergency care. Therapists work in partnership with social workers and organisations in providing a specific component of their care. The supervision process become a place within which the therapist can bring a case, discuss and reflect on it in depth, consider appropriate action and also to consider the emotional impact on themselves.

"It’s so important that we are able to do this - it our chance to journey through the impact of what we are holding with our clients and our organisations, the terrible stories we are hearing and how to care for and protect ourselves and each other and express how we truly feel" (Therapist)

Therapists use themselves as instruments of care, compassion and response to those who suffer. This use of humanity engages the body, heart, mind and soul of a therapist as they journey alongside some of the most traumatised and troubled children and young people. The creative arts serve as powerful vehicles to enable a therapist to express such an impact and consider how this touches their own experience and story. This reflective creative process enables a greater degree of awareness and skill then in managing the work with the client, equipping them with a navigation map that is embodied and conscious. It can make all the difference in sustaining someone in their work.

In January, over 130 practitioners came together in the conference Nourish - Cambodia's 1st Arts Therapy and Wellbeing Conference in partnership with Partners for Social Justice and Naropa University (USA). This provided an opportunity to learn and explore this vital theme of support and wellbeing for frontline staff at an individual, organisational, country and broader global perspectives. Whilst supervision is a priority in many countries, in the developing and humanitarian sector it is often not prioritised or funded. Coming together with therapists, social workers and leaders of organisations enabled there to be a collective voice articulated and raised for the critical need of this service to enable sustainability in the psychosocial sector.

We are looking forward to continuing to both research and provide supervision and also raise awareness and advocate for the need for supervision through our clinic and also at a national and donor level to re-address the vital imperative that staff care is a foundational pillar of ethical and moral humanitarian practice.

Thanks for your support in encouraging and enabling us to be able to now stand on the base of experience and practice that also enables us to advocate for change and policy development. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to know more about this area of our work and its impacts. Thanks for reading!

Reference:

Nelson, T.S. (2014), ‘Vicarious Trauma: Bearing Witness To Another’s Trauma’ http://www.azcadv.org/azcadv2014wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/VICARIOUS-TRAUMA.pdf

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Nov 13, 2017
Nourish - Creative Arts Therapy and Wellbeing

By Carrie Herbert | Director of Arts Therapy Services Cambodia

Nourish - Staff Care and Wellbeing

Nourish - Creative Arts Therapy and Wellbeing

“By taking care of myself, I take care of you” Thich Naht Hahn

Staff Care and wellbeing is one of the core services we provide through Ragamuffin's Arts Therapy Programmes.

“For persons who work with trauma or crisis, the most important part of coping with the intensity of the work is to acknowledge it will affect you. If you've been trained in crisis intervention and empathic, active listening skills, this work will affect you. If you really listen to what the client is telling you, this work will affect you. Recognising that it is "normal" to be affected by this type of work is the most important coping skill that you can give to yourself. You're not alone. It's okay to feel outraged, horrified, shocked, saddened, or vulnerable” [1].

These symptoms when not addressed can also have a negative impact on people’s ability to stay well, to communicate, trust each other and cooperate and so work together effectively and productively - the very abilities that development projects depend on for sustainability.

Providing staff teams and organisations the opportunity to process their experiences lies at the heart of Ragamuffin’s work.

Ragamuffin has provided residential retreats, training days and clinical supervision, giving therapeutic space for individuals and teams to reflect, process and learn to manage the impact of their work through the gentle process of Creative Arts Therapy.

“Its so important that we are able to do this - it our chance to express and journey through the impact of what we are holding with our clients and our organisations, the terrible stories we are hearing and how to care for and protect ourselves and each other” (NGO Director).

Over the next few months Ragamuffin will be conducting some research to explore the development of clinical supervision and support for frontline social workers and counselors in partnership with Save The Children.

Ragamuffin is also working closely with Partners for Social Justice and Naropa University to co-create our first Arts Therapy Conference in January 2018. This will be a rich educational opportunity for National and International, Social Workers, Therapist's and educators as we will together learn and explore innovative and cutting edge thinking and training on staff care and organizational wellbing. It will be a vital and nourishing experience for the psychosocial community in Cambodia and aims to recognise and celebrate the importance and extent of their investment and devotion into the lives of those who suffer in Cambodia.

Thank you so much for continuing to support this important and well-needed work in Cambodia. Your ongoing support is essential in providing core services for children and young people in crisis and strengthening the staff teams that support them.

[1] Nelson, T.S. (2014). Vicarious Trauma: Bearing Witness To Another’s Trauma, http://www.azcadv.org/azcadv2014wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/VICARIOUS-TRAUMA.pdf

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Aug 14, 2017
Stars in the night sky

By Serey Samchet, Carrie Herbert, Kit Loring | Directors Ragamuffin Cambodia

At Ragamuffin, we have been working with more vulnerable young people who have been dealing with complex attachment issues, social stigma, and depression. Throughout our work, Art therapy has been one of the most effective therapeutic approaches in helping them express their deep emotions and thoughts in order to bring relief from their problems. For example, one of our clients was at high risk of self-harm. She is suffering due to abandonment, sexual trafficking, and poverty. As a result of all these experiences, she found herself very sensitive and fragile. During her therapy session, she expressed all her suffering through drawing which helped her understand the impact of her trauma and a pattern of self-harm. Despite living with those painful memories, she has gradually learned to respond to herself with self-compassion and kindness. The more I work with clients, the more I see how the safe and gentle process of arts therapy helps them learn how to find support and re-discover their life’s purpose again. I see it as an important part of their journey of self-redemption and self-discovery which will take them to new insight and hope for their current and future life.

At Songkites, we had such a beautiful and inspiring experience today. Those so often described, simplistically, as disabled, and so often marginalised is societies around the world, shone so brightly and proved, if any proof was really needed even to the causal attentive observer, that they were able and gifted and rich in insights and creativity.

We came together to create a song and a video to advocate for the acknowledgement and inclusion of those with ‘differabilty’. The goal is to promote this video globally. This small group of Cambodian artists then champions of a cause; a cause that matters so much in a world where every kind of extremism and elitism gives rise to irrational prejudice and fear.

“There is love in my heart - so much love … my heart is expanding, so full of love for our world - what’s inside the heart is love, and this love is endless”. Is he right? Could a few Cambodian people described as disabled make a difference in our world? With your ongoing help perhaps they can.

Our thanks to all who participated and to all of you for contribution - you are stars in the night sky.

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