Family Therapy in Libya: Navigating Uncharted Waters

Abstract

In this chapter, I discuss my experience of a training in psychological interventions, which was funded by the WHO and the Libyan Ministry of Health. The training focused on various applied therapeutic interventions, including CBT, group counseling, and family therapy. After the revolution, which ended in the summer of 2011, Libya was struggling with her scars. The infrastructure was in shambles, the system of governance was faltering and many who had participated in the revolution were suffering in solitude. International organizations started coming in to help, offering training and capacity-building programs to help Libyans better manage this difficult phase. I describe my experience as a trainee of psychosocial interventions in a post conflict context, how this experience has changed me personally and professionally, and how the training reformed my outlook on humanitarian interventions, hopefully making me a more effective contributor to change both within myself as well as with those persons I intend to help. (The views expressed in this article do not represent the decisions, policy, or views of the WHO or any other organization.)

Independent Practitioner.