Page 195 - Creating Spiritual and Psychological Resilience

164 Creating Spiritual and Psychological Resilence

From a trauma research standpoint, Hobfall (1998) and Draguns (2004)
both conclude that a review of past studies suggests the effectiveness of
viewing all individuals through the lens of broader familial, interpersonal,
and social contexts. Going one step farther than the de facto practice of
cultural competence (Shah, 2007a), EC affirms that not only must we take
into account multiple contexts to understand the traumatized self-concept
but that once we see the traumatized self-concept through many lenses,
it is important to develop IPR (a blend of appropriate techniques from a
wide palette to achieve optimal results). Within South Asian populations,
spiritual care techniques tend to be prevalent and well received. In the
next section, I will present four cases of blending spiritual care within IPR
delivery in South Asian disasters.

Data on Collaborations

Tsunami in India (Acute Phase)

Entering tsunami relief efforts, I was facilitated by preexisting relation-
ships. In this context, preexisting could signify any of the following in
varying degrees: confidence, empathy, faith, and positive expectations.
On the day of the tsunami, December 26, 2004, I contacted a handful of
NGOs that knew me, and I let them know what I could offer. I was ready
to provide consultancy to relief agencies on psychosocial first aid (PFA)
and neuropsychoeducation* of vicarious trauma and self-care (hereafter
“VT/SC education” ).
†
Indicorps, an iNGO located in Ahmedabad, had the most actionable
ideas for my involvement. My preexisting relationship with this iNGO was
as an “alongside,” meaning that I was a standing resource and consul-
tant for addressing Indicorps staff stress and behavioral health concerns.
Indicorps leadership put me in touch with their partners in Chennai, the
metropolis from where major NGOs in South India staged their operations.
On the subject of anything psychosocial, I was prepared to get responses
* Classical psychoeducation (teachings to deal with a psychological condition) plus education on
the neurobiology of stress/distress/trauma/anxiety/depression. Neuropsychoeducation is taught
in the spirit of democratizing health by teaching cognitive mastery and behavioral regulation.
† Vicarious trauma is also known as “secondary traumatic stress” in the academic literature.
Education on vicarious trauma involving self-care and resilience also aids in the prevention of
burnout, which is a related phenomenon of exhaustion occurring as a result of harsh working
conditions.