“I help clients to re-create from their imagination the safety of the therapy room in the form of a place which they can mentally ‘visit’ to recapture a sense of themselves and feel at peace. “I recently worked with a young woman who was subjected to Juju trafficking to ‘build’ an imaginary garden. She chose her favourite flowers, a carved, wooden bench, birds, a goldfish pond with water lilies – most of one session was spent building the garden so that when she tries to sleep she remembers to go into her garden. She still suffers from nightmares and disrupted sleep but she says that this garden helps her when she lays her head on the pillow.” Helen Bamber 8.3 Focusing on the “Here and Now” HBF works with victims of trafficking who have been traumatized by past experiences but are also debilitated by uncertain futures. This is particularly the case for those who have reason to fear being detained or forcibly returned to their country of origin. However, it also applies to those who have been given legal protection status in the UK and those who do not require it. Concerns about the future may relate to physical and psychological illnesses; problems of poverty, poor housing/ destitution and low socio-economic status; the continuing threat of traffickers and vulnerability to, or acquiescence in, harmful relationships. In many cases, victims of trafficking feel overwhelmed by the difficulties of language, culture and bureaucracy of the country that they are now living in. In therapy, clients are helped to obtain a conscious level of control over their own lives by focusing upon the immediate present, or “here and now”. Concerns they raise about their past and/or future may be confronted and explored, but clinicians may also ask questions and make connections to positive thoughts and small actions that belong in the current moment of clients’ lives and which can help them to make progress. This technique enables clients to build autonomy within their lives, introducing it in “small steps” which they can manage. Problem solving, even on a small scale, (for example filling out a form or making a necessary telephone call) becomes progressive over time and gradually builds confidence. ited by the fear of becoming emotionally overwhelmed or re-traumatized. HBF also provides a programme of practical, creative skills, and activities in group work which can assist this focus and is often a key component of the therapeutic process. However, it is important not to rush clients into positive action if they are not yet ready for it. Sometimes they may need to explore emotions and thoughts relating to their situation which they have been unable to express elsewhere. Clinicians may simply allow the client to “sit with” negative thoughts and feelings so that they can express them fully, eventually enabling them to work through them and move forward. It is important to ensure that a traumatic history is not discussed too quickly by the client, which can potentially leave them feeling vulnerable, as if they have given too much of themselves at an early stage. A skilled clinician can slow this process by exploring less traumatic aspects of the dialogue, relating it to the client’s current situation and asking questions which enable the client to alter their perspective where this is helpful. Clients can also be given coping techniques to use within and between sessions: “Breathing techniques can help to calm intrusive thoughts. I may ask the client to hold small stones or pebbles with a smooth surface in each hand and describe to me what they feel like. This brings the client back from intrusive thoughts or memories into the present moment and into a safe place with me in the room. The client can then use the pebbles in the same way outside of therapy as a coping mechanism. “We sometimes talk about current self-care, so I will ask the client what they do every day and how they take care of themselves, for example whether they have a shower, drink tea etc. By focusing on small practical elements of their day, traumatized people can be assisted to manage overwhelming feelings and focus on the ‘here and now’.” Jackie Roberts, HBF Psychotherapist Maintaining focus upon the “here and now” in therapy also helps to “contain” the session, so that the client is not inhib- 101