Case Report: Trauma group therapy with karate-do for war-traumatized children and adolescents

Abstract

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BackgroundFrom the viewpoint of health and education, traumatized children and adolescents who have fled from war and conflict zones to Switzerland represent a high-risk group, as they suffer from psychiatric symptoms to an above-average extent and on several levels: somatic, psychological, psychosomatic, and psychosocial.ObjectivesThe complexity and severity of these problems overwhelm the existing school structures in many cases: There is a clear need for psychotherapeutic interventions here that goes beyond purely verbal conversational therapy and provides an holistic concept.MethodsWe propose the following novel approach: “Trauma group therapy with karate-do for war-traumatized children and adolescents” which integrates and applies the evidence-based methods of integrative Budo-Therapy, trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) and Integrative Gestalt Therapy according to Dr. Hilarion Petzold (EAG-FPI) and validated it in a group of approximately 12 children from war and conflict zones who attend the public schools of the city of Zürich.ResultsQualitative feedback received from the teachers is promising. They report that it is now better possible for the children who go to ouer “Trauma group therapy with karate-do for war-traumatized children and adolescents” to concentrate at school and also to better regulate their feelings.ConclusionOuer approach seems to be a promising intervention for traumatized children and adolecents. Though it needs further evaluation.

Keywords

• traumatization
• migration
• man-made trauma
• group therapy
• Karate-do
• self-defense