Volume_4_Issue_4_Digest

TPC D igest 57 Counseling People Displaced by War: Experiences of Refugees from the Former Yugoslavia – DIGEST Branis Knezevic Seth Olson Branis Knezevic, NCC, is an assistant professor at Wayne State College. Seth Olson, NCC, is an Associate Professor at the University of South Dakota. Correspondence can be addressed to Branis Knezevic, 1111 Main Street, Wayne, NE 68787, brkneze1@wsc.edu. T he purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of refugees from the former Yugoslavia who migrated to the United States as a result of the 1990s civil wars. Refugees are a diverse population with different worldviews, beliefs and traditions, which helping professionals must acknowledge when working with them. The objective of the present study was to understand the complex effects of pre- and post-migration traumatic experiences on their mental health. The present research utilized a phenomenological method. The authors recruited 10 participants using convenience sampling and the snowball method. They scheduled a preliminary meeting in order to discuss issues of confidentiality and informed consent. Individuals who decided to participate engaged in a semi-structured in-depth interview protocol. Open-ended questions acted as a guide to elicit thoughts, perceptions and feelings about the participants’ pre– displacement experiences, arrival and reception in the United States, and adaptation issues in the host country. The authors analyzed the data for themes relating to the pre- and post-migration experiences, documenting high rates of exposure to war-related violence and the presence of multiple stressors during resettlement. The first set of stressors the participants experienced in their homeland was compounded by a second set of stressors participants faced in their adjustment to the United States. The participants encountered many difficulties in resettlement and utilized a variety of strategies to overcome these hardships. This study offers an integration of the collective essences and meanings of refugees’ experiences.