MHM Magazine

FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN WORK WITH US: VISIT: MSF.ORG.ZA/WORK-WITH-US Doctors Without Borders (MSF) teams in Lesbos, Greece, have been providing mental health services and support to refugees,many ofwhomare children, for years. The MSF team includes psychologists, medical doctors, psychiatrists, nurses, midwives, case workers, health promoters, and cultural mediators. Refugees often make a dangerous journey to find safety and stability in Greece. Once they arrive, they face uncertainty with no clear way to rebuild their future. Living day to day, their future is entirely unknown. In response to their plight, MSF mental health specialist, Johanna Bogren, provides a space for refugees to process their trauma at the Lesbos Sea House Clinic. Here, she shares her experience: “I’ve learned that crossing the Aegean Sea in an unsafe boat creates wounds filled with horror inside the human being. As a psychologist, I can try to work with that experience to make the wound shrink and perhaps heal, even if the scar will remain.” “This crossing comes after horrifying experiences that are often difficult for me to comprehend. And it is followed by this: being stuck in a refugee camp, waiting for the asylum process. I have seen first-hand how this limbo brutally affects people’s ability to handle their current lives and the memories of their past experiences.” Johanna’s role is to reassure her patients, reminding them that they are safe, cared for and valued. MSF continues to offer medical services in Lesbos and other areas within Greece, providing an average of: © Evgenia Chorou I listen to their stories. We share feelings, not infrequently, of helplessness, fear, and sadness. I see the person in front of me. I try to sow a seed of hope and highlight their inner strength. MSF Mental Health Specialist, Johanna Bogren 10,900 individual mental health consultations 600 group mental health sessions every year 19,600 outpatient consultations © M S F Sowing Seeds of Hope in Refugees’ Future