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From Persecution to Hope: The Journey of LGBTQI Refugees Seeking Asylum

The Journey of LGBTQI Refugees Seeking Asylum

From Persecution to Hope

The plight of LGBTQI refugees around the world is a topic that has gained increasing attention in recent years. These individuals face enormous challenges as they flee their home countries in search of safety and acceptance. Discrimination and persecution are often the driving forces behind their decision to leave, and the journey to find a new home can be dangerous and traumatic.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are currently over 70 million forcibly displaced individuals worldwide, with approximately 26 million of those being refugees. Among these refugees are LGBTQI individuals who have been forced to flee their homes due to persecution based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
In many countries, homosexuality and transgender identity are illegal and can be punished with imprisonment, torture, or death. This puts LGBTQI individuals at significant risk, as they are often subjected to violence and harassment by both the government and their fellow citizens. As a result, many are forced to flee their homes and seek safety elsewhere.

The journey to find safety is often dangerous and traumatic. LGBTQI refugees may face discrimination and violence in refugee camps and other temporary shelters, as well as during their journey to a new country. Once they arrive in a new country, they may face additional challenges, such as language barriers, cultural differences, and difficulties in finding employment and housing.

Despite these challenges, many LGBTQI refugees remain resilient and hopeful as they work to rebuild their lives in a new country. Organizations such as the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are working to provide support and assistance to LGBTQI refugees, including legal assistance, healthcare, and psychosocial support.

From a psychoanalytic perspective, the experiences of LGBTQI refugees can have a profound impact on their mental health and well-being. The trauma of persecution, displacement, and discrimination can lead to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is important for mental health professionals to be aware of the unique challenges faced by LGBTQI refugees and to provide culturally sensitive and trauma-informed care.

Mego Nerses, a professional psychotherapist servicing Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, has extensive experience in providing mental health support to LGBTQI refugees. He has worked with refugees from a variety of cultural backgrounds, including those from countries where homosexuality and transgender identity are illegal. Nerses’s approach is trauma-informed and culturally sensitive, taking into account the unique experiences and challenges faced by LGBTQI refugees.

In conclusion, the journey of LGBTQI refugees is one that is often marked by trauma, discrimination, and hardship. However, it is also a journey of resilience, hope, and the search for acceptance. As mental health professionals, it is our duty to provide support and care to these individuals as they work to rebuild their lives in a new country.

If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties with their sexuality or gender identity, don’t hesitate to reach out for support. Contact Mego Nerses, Ottawa’s psychotherapist for gender identity and sexual orientation issues, at megonerses.com or call [phone number] to schedule an appointment. Remember, you don’t have to face these challenges alone; Mego Nerses is here to help you every step of the way.

Sources:

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). (2021). Figures at a Glance. https://www.unhcr.org/figures-at-a-glance.html
International Organization for Migration (IOM). (2021). LGBTQI Migration. https://www.iom.int/lgbtqi-migration
Human Rights Watch. (2021). LGBT Rights. https://www.hrw.org/topic/lgbt-rights
Mego Nerses, Professional Psychotherapist. (2021). About Me. https://www.megonerses.com/about-me/

Frequently Asked Questions

An LGBTQI refugee is an individual who has been forced to flee their home country due to persecution based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
LGBTQI refugees face a double struggle as they not only face discrimination and persecution in their home countries, but also in the countries where they seek refuge. They may face discrimination and violence in refugee camps and other temporary shelters, as well as during their journey to a new country. Once they arrive in a new country, they may face additional challenges, such as language barriers, cultural differences, and difficulties in finding employment and housing.
The trauma of persecution, displacement, and discrimination can lead to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among LGBTQI refugees.
Organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are working to provide support and assistance to LGBTQI refugees, including legal assistance, healthcare, and psychosocial support.
Mental health professionals play a crucial role in providing culturally sensitive and trauma-informed care to LGBTQI refugees. This includes addressing the unique challenges faced by LGBTQI refugees and providing support to help them rebuild their lives in a new country.
The journey of an LGBTQI refugee is often marked by trauma, discrimination, and hardship. However, it is also a journey of resilience, hope, and the search for acceptance.
LGBTQI refugees continue to face discrimination and persecution in many countries around the world. However, there are also many organizations and individuals working to support and protect LGBTQI refugees.
LGBTQI refugees can bring diversity and new perspectives to their host communities. However, they may also face discrimination and hostility from members of the host community.
Individuals can support LGBTQI refugees by advocating for their rights, donating to organizations that support them, and volunteering their time and resources to help them rebuild their lives.
The future outlook for LGBTQI refugees is uncertain, as they continue to face discrimination and persecution in many parts of the world. However, there is hope that with increased awareness and support, LGBTQI refugees will be able to find safety, acceptance, and a new home.
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Land acknowledgement and reconciliation: I am an immigrant settler who lives and works on the unceded territory of the Anishinabewaki and Algonquin nations, the traditional stewards of these lands who were unfairly an unjustly affected by the Crawford Purchase of 1783. In the spirit of reconciliation, I recognize the historical and ongoing oppression of these lands and cultures, and honour the commitments to self-determination and sovereignty made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples. I commit to work toward reconciliation and abide by the Indigenous Peoples, Communities & Contexts section of CCPA’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

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About MEGO NERSES

I am an Ottawa-based Registered Psychotherapist and have a full-time private practice. In the past, I worked in social service agencies for many years. I offer individual, relationship, and sex therapy in English, Arabic, and Armenian to adults 18+, and I do not work with minors.

In 2011, I earned a master’s degree in Counselling from the University of Ottawa. I am a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario (CRPO#001132) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. In addition, I am a Certified Counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA#3058). My clinical training focuses on relationship and sex therapy and trauma/PTSD. Since 2013, I have been at Algonquin College as a seasonal professor, teaching courses in mental health and addiction.

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to publish peer-reviewed articles and contribute chapters concerning Counselling, coming out, and trauma related explicitly to LGBTQ+ refugees and newcomers to Canada. I have presented numerous workshops and continue to offer trainings nationally and internationally on the mental health of LGBTQI+ and SOGIE refugees and asylum seekers.

 

Professional Work

Early in my professional career, I specialized in individual therapy and served clients with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and grief. Since then, I have taken my clinical work to a higher level and gained more experience in four areas: PTSD and Trauma, Sexuality and Gender Identity, Sex and Relationship Therapy, and Refugee mental health issues. I have received various trainings in these areas since choosing to specialize. As an example, I received training from Division 56, Trauma Psychology, Physicians for Human Rights, and the Global Institute of Forensic Research in writing immigration evaluations for immigration courts. Furthermore, I have completed multiple trainings in trauma/PTSD therapy and relationship therapy (Poly. Kink). I have participated in numerous training opportunities in the field of sex therapy, sexuality, and gender identity. 

I am a LGBTQI+/poly/kink/CNM supportive and informed therapist.

Therapeutic approaches
In addition to Narrative Exposure Therapy for PTSD (NET), I have also been trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD and Experiential Therapy and Focusing. I integrate social justice and rights-based principles into my work as a trauma-informed therapist.

Awards
In recognition of my dedication to helping LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers in Canada, I received the 2017 Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA).

AffiliationsI have an international affiliate membership with Division 56, Trauma Psychology, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Global Institute of Forensic Research.

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Facts about Psychotherapy

  • Psychotherapy is a collaborative process. The therapist and the client must work together to reach the desired outcomes.
  • Research indicates that the quality of the therapeutic relationship between therapists and clients is the highest contributor to change, almost 40%. Therapy modality or approach contributes only 15% to change.
  • The quality of the client-therapist alliance is a reliable predictor of positive clinical outcomes independent of psychotherapeutic techniques and outcome measures (Ardito & Rabellino, 2011).
  • Psychotherapy has been shown to reduce the use of medications, consultations with primary-care physicians, length of inpatient stays, and general health care expenditures by 60% to 90% (Chiles, Lambert, & Hatch, 1999; Kraft, Puschner, Lambert, & Kordy, 2006).
  • Psychotherapy in conjunction with pharmaceutical treatment has been shown to be more enduring and effective in the long term than medication alone.
  • There are more than 100 psychotherapy approaches. Always make sure your therapist is using evidence-based psychotherapy.