Citation

Kira IA. Traumatology 2010; 16(4): 128-141.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Green Cross Academy of Traumatology, Publisher APA Journals)

DOI

10.1177/1534765610365914

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Developments in the theories of identity, culture, and traumatology enrich our cross-cultural understanding of mental health dynamics, case conceptualization, and developing effective intervention models to help victims of complex and cumulative traumas especially in different cultures and minority populations. Identity traumas, along with preidentity and nonidentity traumas, contribute to forming cultures. On the other hand, cultures may contribute to delivering some types of culture- and social-made serious traumatic conditions that can be transferred cross-generationally, such as poverty and caste systems. Most current interventions are designed to help with single trauma and ignore the cumulative trauma dynamics as well the collective identity and culture-specific traumas. This understanding entails revising our culturally limited and single-trauma-based interventions to help clients who belong to different cultures or to minority victims of culture- and social-made traumas as well as those who are victims of cumulative traumas. Multisystemic, multimodal, multicomponent flexible and fiddle therapy models emerged as potentially more effective in the treatment of disorders resulting from cumulative and identity traumas. They are more ecologically valid and culturally competent. Specific models of multisystemic, multimodal therapies— the wraparound psychosocial rehabilitation approach, for torture survivors, and the summer day and after-school treatment, for child victims of cumulative traumas—are discussed.