Healing Beyond Physical Safety
When refugees and asylum seekers arrive in Aberdeen, their immediate physical needs—shelter, food, and warm clothing—are obvious. However, the psychological wounds resulting from conflict, loss of family, persecution, and treacherous journeys often remain invisible.
At Asylum & Refugee Care (AARC) SCIO, we recognize that true settlement and integration cannot occur without addressing mental health and emotional well-being. By embedding trauma-informed care into all our services, we create environments where individuals feel safe, respected, and empowered to heal.
What is Trauma-Informed Care?
Trauma-informed care is an organizational approach that acknowledges the widespread prevalence of trauma and understands its profound impact on human behavior and well-being. Rather than asking "What is wrong with you?", a trauma-informed lens asks "What happened to you?"
Our work at AARC is guided by five core trauma-informed principles:
- Safety: Ensuring physical and emotional safety across all our hub activities, drop-in sessions, and volunteer interactions.
- Trustworthiness & Transparency: Building transparent relationships with clear expectations, consistency, and absolute confidentiality.
- Choice: Empowering service users by providing genuine choices regarding the support they receive and how they engage with our services.
- Collaboration: Working alongside service users as partners, valuing their lived experiences and cultural wisdom.
- Empowerment: Supporting individuals to rebuild self-efficacy, autonomy, and confidence after experiencing severe loss of control.
Recognizing the Signs of Refugee Trauma
Displacement trauma can manifest in diverse physical and psychological ways, including chronic insomnia, hypervigilance, sudden anxiety attacks, severe depression, persistent physical pain, and emotional withdrawal. Cultural stigma around mental health can often prevent individuals from seeking professional help.
AARC’s Support Initiatives in Aberdeen
To support mental health and recovery, AARC offers several targeted community initiatives:
- Safe Social Spaces: Regular social gatherings and tea sessions where individuals can relax without pressure or administrative interrogation.
- Peer Support Groups: Connecting individuals who share common languages and cultural backgrounds to reduce isolation and foster mutual aid.
- Specialist Referral Pathways: Partnering with NHS Grampian mental health services, NHS Trauma Services, and specialist psychological support charities to provide confidential counseling.
- Volunteer Training: Equipping all AARC volunteers with trauma awareness training to ensure empathetic, non-triggering communication.
Through holistic care, compassion, and sustained community support, AARC helps refugees in North-East Scotland move forward from survival to stability and growth.