Self-positions and narratives facilitating or hindering posttraumatic growth: A qualitative analysis with migrant women of Nigerian descent survivors of trafficking.

Abstract

Objective: The literature on sex trafficking has given a great deal of space to the effects on mental health, while little has been devoted to the stories of survivors. This study aims to explore the first-hand stories of immigrant women of Nigerian descent trafficking survivors, describing a qualitative analysis of psychotherapy sessions with them. Within the theoretical framework of Dialogical Self Theory, we explored and invited into dialogue the I-positions generated when individuals have traumatic experiences such as sex trafficking. Analyzing the themes emerging from 5 psychotherapy pathways developed taking a narrative and dialogical approach, we explored the narratives that facilitated posttraumatic growth (PTG) and those that hindered it. Method: Five women survivors of sex trafficking were followed in a narrative psychotherapy journey. A thematic analysis was conducted on the transcripts of the therapeutic pathways, highlighting the positions of the self identified in the narratives and the main content of the women’s stories. Results: We identified 2 main themes in the narratives facilitating PTG, and 3 in the narratives acting as barriers thereto. Conclusion: When addressing traumatic experiences, taking into account the polyphony of the individuals narrating them, and identifying which of their narratives can facilitate or hinder their PTG can be a useful resource in therapeutic and social work with survivors of trafficking.

Migrations in postcolonial Italian literature: Quali-quantitative analysis in a social representation framework

“…The SR perspective was proposed and first adopted by Moscovici (1976) to investigate the intersubjective construction of shared knowledge in everyday life. The term social representations refers to systems of belief, ideas, values, and social practices through which knowledge becomes organized and is made accessible to help individuals orient themselves in their social world and provide them with communication codes to use in their social exchanges (Contarello, 2022;Moscovici, 2000). By SRs, we mean intersubjectively constructed forms of knowledge that serve the purpose of generating a reality shared by the members of a social group and/or society (Jodelet, 1989).…”

“…classes 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 11) and narratives of the migrants' ability to react and cope with difficulties. While some stories of victimization are perceived as necessary to access services and/or apply for political asylum, there are also alternative narratives that facilitate post-traumatic growth and counter the perception of victimizations (Chiara et al, 2022).…”

Negotiating cultural relevance from within therapy conversations

“…Discursive researchers and scholars have extensively studied how speakers in conversations draw from, and orient to interpretative repertoires , to make sense of our responses to each other, and of how their interactions unfold (Wetherell, 1998; Butler and Fitzgerald, 2010; Suoninen and Wahlstrom, 2009). Focusing on the discursive aspects of psychotherapy dialogues has proven useful to understand how helpful and unhelpful therapy conversations unfold (e.g., Chiara and Romaioli, 2021; Chiara et al, 2022; Smoliak et al, 2021; Strong et al, 2008; Strong et al, 2021; Tseliou, 2013).…”

Trauma informed use of the career construction interview

“…Their results indicated that intrusive thoughts of traumatic experiences can create a resiliency that influences career adaptability in a positive direction. The relationship is moderated by post‐traumatic growth showing that making meaning of traumatic events can shield against the experiencing of negative trauma symptoms (Chiara et al., 2022; Llewellyn‐Beardsley et al., 2019; Pak, 2019). The CCI focuses on meaning‐making of life story events, thus highlighting a trauma‐focused practice in the approach.…”