Psychoanalytic Approach to Refugee Mental Health

Chrysi Giannoulaki is a psychiatrist and a training analyst of the Hellenic Psychoanalytic Society. She is a full member of the Psychiatry and Art Section of the Hellenic Psychiatric Association, whose actions aim to enhance awareness of racism and xenophobia. Chrysi has been working with refugees since 2016.

“Safe Harbor is a remarkable book as it exposes the complex destinies of refugees through encounters with individuals and groups. The author uses herself as a tool in understanding the unique mental and social situations of the “Refugee People” in a way that makes the reader understand better what it means to be a human being under such extreme circumstances. In this way, they come alive in the reader's mind and hopefully also contribute to the better of an important group of our fellow human beings.” - Sverre Varvin, Professor Emeritus, OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Training Analyst Norwegian Psychoanalytic Society“Safe Harbor: A Psychoanalytic Approach to Refugee Mental Health is a groundbreaking exploration that offers profound insights into human resilience, trauma, and healing. By illuminating the complex psychological landscapes of refugees and their caregivers, Chrysi Giannoulaki provides a compassionate, nuanced approach to understanding displacement, violence, and the restoration of human connection. The book is a vital contribution to our understanding of trauma and the transformative potential of psychoanalytic practice.” - Danielle Knafo, author of Living with Terror, Working with Trauma: A Clinician’s Handbook“This book addresses a crucial current problem: the movement of refugee populations whose tragic adversity in integrating into a foreign society is exacerbated by a lack of understanding of their mental reality. Dr Chrysi Giannoulaki, with her empathy and scientific systematicity, highlights the difficulties of communicating with people from different cultural traditions. Reading this book is particularly interesting and valuable for those involved in helping refugees. It is about expanding the possibilities when dealing with a permanent feature of contemporary global political and cultural development.” - Dr Nikolaos Tzavaras, Honorary President of the Hellenic Psychiatric Association, Training Analyst of the Hellenic Psychoanalytic Society

• Preface AcknowledgementsIntroductionChapter 1 Language and SilenceChapter 2 Dream and DaydreamingChapter 3 Male Friendship and HomosexualityChapter 4 Violence and WomenChapter 5Identity and MourningChapter 6Forms of RepetitionChapter 7“Difficult” Refugees and Sex-WorkChapter 8Mourning and NostalgiaChapter 9 Psychosis and ViolenceChapter 10Understanding and Explaining Ruptures and ReconstructionChapter 11 Counter-Transference and XenosChapter 12Intergenerational Transmission: Memory and OblivionConclusion