Gheed Aldamook

My name is Gheed Aldamook and I work as an ITA ( intercultural therapy assistant ) with eight years of experience working with refugees alongside the team of RTRP (Refugee Trauma and Recovery program) at UNSW. My main role working with the team is to utilise my experiences in the field of refugees by offering both parties bridges to cross confidently through resolving any cross culture issues and offering solutions that can help the team achieve the best outcomes from the treatment that they offer for people from refugee background. 

Other responsibilities include training ITAs by explaining the importance of the role that they play in psychological settings and offering strategies and tips that can improve and support their work in those settings. I came to Australia as a refugee with my family, and we went through many obstacles before we were able to adjust to the new life in this country and to give back to the community who embraced and supported us through that healing process that we undergone. 

Going through those experiences and feeling their impact on my family and I, made me take the plunge and dedicate the time explaining the refugees experiences, struggles and expectations to different entities especially the ones that work in psychological field. Hoping by doing that, stigma related to seeking psychological treatment be reduced within refugee communities, and seeking support becomes part of their adjusting journey.