9 Therapeutic Work which Addresses the Trafficking Experience 9.1 Understanding the Significance of Relationships During Childhood and Adolescent Development for Victims of Trafficking The capacity for recovery is unique to each individual and cannot be predicted. However, understanding the process of establishing a coherent sense of self and personal identity from relationships to caregivers in childhood is central to assisting victims with their responses to trauma, and to identifying effective routes for their sustained recovery. A coherent sense of self and resilience is formed from close, familial relationships in childhood. Victims of trafficking who lack these relationships in their developmental years, struggle to build coping strategies and positive relationships after their escape from exploitation. People who have experienced negative relationships, exploitation and/or interpersonal violence throughout their lives lack the positive “building blocks” of identity and self in relation to others, which are learned from parental figures. They are more vulnerable and less able to cope with adverse life events. Clinicians often find that people who were raised in slavery by exploiters/traffickers and therefore lack relationships of trust with adults in their formative years, may treasure any small item of “positive” information given to them about their identity, such as their birthday, their name or age, or a snippet of knowledge about their parents. Denial or undermining of this treasured information by others (for example the dispute of their age, parentage or ethnicity) can be traumatizing for them because it is so crucial to their sense of personal identity. Those who have experienced even a few early years with a positive parental/familial figure have greater access to recovery from trauma because of pre-existing memories and experiences that they can draw from and build upon. Therefore they may have a considerably more robust response to therapy and recovery because of that experience. The clinician has the ability to help them to make links between their past positive relationship experiences and their current lives, and therefore to think constructively about progressing forward. In some cases victims of trafficking who only knew caring 102 parental figures for a very short time in their childhood may later draw upon knowledge passed to them, for example in the form of religious beliefs, motivation to acquire an education or an understanding of their own individual strength of character. Even after they have suffered profound violation and loss, this can provide a foundation of identity from which they may begin to re-build their lives. However, the loss suffered through the experience of interpersonal violence in such cases is no less extreme. Those who have not been subjugated and abused by others prior to their being recruited for trafficking may recover their ability to function in relationship to others more quickly, but may find it impossible to recover the former sense of self that has been violated. They too will have become damaged by the condition of slavery. The building/re-building of autonomy (independence) and “agency” (the ability to make choices and take action) is therefore a key component of therapy for all victims of trafficking regardless of their background. 9.2 Building Autonomy and Agency with Victims of Trafficking Clinicians at HBF work on building or re-building autonomy with victims of trafficking with clients in various ways according to the theoretical models of their training/discipline. This ranges from psychotherapy and trauma counselling, through to family therapy and body-mind work.112 Autonomy is a sense of self and independence which is lost in the experience of trafficking and is fundamental for rehabilitation from subjugation and interpersonal violence. “Agency” is the accompanying function of being able to manage autonomy in order to make choices and take independent action. It is important for clients to recognize that by seeking help they are already taking steps towards gaining autonomy. -