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Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers’ experiences of a community garden based trauma intervention: an interpretative phenomenological analysis
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2025
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Abstract
Aims
This doctoral research examines the subjective experiences of community gardening as a trauma psychological intervention in the recovery process of male Sri Lankan Tamils asylum seekers who have been diagnosed with war-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This research is particularly timely given the significance of social and systemic processes in asylum seekers’ trauma intervention, the emergence of community horticultural therapy’s efficacy in treating trauma, and a current lack of research on best ways to support Sri Lankan Tamils’ trauma recovery.
Methods
The method chosen for this research is Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), which espouses a qualitative design methodology, to explore in-depth the subjective experiences of the client group of male Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants, all male Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers or former asylum seekers aged 18 or above, who received a formal diagnosis of PTSD from Lewisham IPTT due to war-related trauma from the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983–2009).
Results
Three superordinate themes emerged from the interpretative analysis. The participants dwelled on the immense value of being with others, of engaging in activities at the intervention, the setting of the intervention, and commented on the intervention’s acceptability and feasibility.
Conclusion
The research findings suggest the value and cultural empowerment of a psychosocial treatment approach such as that of a community-based intervention. The findings also support that there are specific therapeutic benefits associated with employing a horticultural approach in the treatment of trauma for asylum seekers. The qualitative information gained also enabled a reflection on the role of Counselling Psychologists in general, and what therapy is.
Citation
Yip, H.L. (2025) Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers’ experiences of a community garden based trauma intervention: an interpretative phenomenological analysis. University of Wolverhampton. https://wlv.openrepository.com/handle/2436/625977
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Thesis or dissertation
Language
en
Description
Research Thesis Submitted in Part Requirement for the Doctor of Counselling Psychology.