IL DIALOGO CON LA PSICOLOGA E IL MEDIATORE PER RICOMPORRE LA PROPRIA STORIA
Maria Gaffuri, Ansumana Touray
Maria, la Psicologa:
“Nella relazione di aiuto con una persona proveniente da un paese straniero è imprescindibile considerare le differenze culturali, soprattutto riguardo alle credenze rispetto alle cause del disagio psichico.
La collaborazione fra lo psicologo e il mediatore culturale arricchisce la relazione, la presenza di entrambi i professionisti permette di offrire alla persona un setting interno che riflette la doppia appartenenza, quella di origine e quella di accoglienza.
Tale setting consente al paziente la relazione con le due realtà, che, a loro volta, stanno in relazione tra di loro e collaborano per il suo benessere.
L’integrazione, vissuta nel qui e ora grazie al lavoro sinergico dei due professionisti, offre un’esperienza trasformativa all’interno della quale la cultura di origine è valorizzata e diventa la base di comprensione da cui partire per attribuire un nuovo significato alla propria esperienza di vita attraverso il passaggio dalla e nella nuova cultura di accoglienza.
Un’accoglienza che non rinnega le origini, ma le integra per aiutare il paziente a ricostruire la propria identità, ricucendo gli strappi della migrazione e rielaborando i traumi, da quelli che hanno portato al viaggio, a quelli legati al viaggio stesso.
Così è possibile affrontare anche la propria storia personale in un’ottica di integrazione e di valorizzazione della doppia identità di straniero e di accolto.
L’alchimia fra i due professionisti crea una conoscenza condivisa di entrambe le culture e apre una dimensione di ascolto di sé e dell’altro che rende accessibili e ripensabili la storia personale e il percorso di vita, per consentire al paziente una proiezione nel futuro, con una nuova consapevolezza di sé, delle proprie risorse e dei propri desideri di vita.
Nell’esperienza diretta, è risultata subito evidente l’essenzialità di cogliere gli aspetti di diversità e quelli di contatto nell’idea di benessere, disagio e cura presenti nelle due culture, per creare un linguaggio comune.”
Ansumana, il mediatore linguistico culturale:
“In many countries of Africa, psychic embarrassment and handicaps, are parts of the religious context, and it’s in that dimension that care is sought.
When people are in trouble, such as when a person loses his job or has a problem with his family or was rich and has become poor, these people seek a cure in faith.
If these people have no faith, they become very weak, they are not cared for, and they can even go crazy.
In this condition, some people start straying away from others, isolate themselves, and other people tease them, and say that they might be affected by black magic.
There are few people who are close to them and give them advice, such as being strong and having faith.
Some people look for a therapy in the traditional way, like Marabout, who is a religious leader and a religious teacher.
In Gambia, you visit a Marabout when a person has a problem and needs advice, is sick or when you think that someone is trying to cast an evil eye on you or use black magic to do something bad to you.
For example, to separate families, friends, married couples, by using black magic.
Some people can affect you just by looking at you with their evil eye.
We believe in it because it is written in the holy scriptures (QURAN). Black magic is forbidden. Some people turn to fortune tellers to ask them the solution to their woes or when they want to know something about their future, which is also prohibited because they can cause lot of problem between families. When you visit fortune tellers and they
tell you something in the name of your family members, friends or even your colleagues, they don’t want your peace of mind, they are trying black magic, most of what they say are lies. A traditional median who is highly respected in society, and has learned his skills from a former generation, knows what plants will heal a disease.
There are some evil Marabout too. They also do black magic and other rites.
If this person does not have faith then he will be very weak, and that means Satan will overwhelm him. Because we Muslims believe that the devil Satan is our enemy, and that is written in the QURAN. We believe that whatever happens in our lives is because GOD wants it to happen. We have to accept it as Muslims, otherwise beliefs are not complete. We believe that life is full of tribulations and GOD has created mankind in other to test us and see who will do good or bad. And he would continue testing us as he says . He makes it very clear to us that the devil Satan is our enemy and will always try to mislead us . Life is like a school where you start from kindergarten up to the masters, or wherever you stop there is always an exam . For me faith is something difficult, to be a faithful a person is not at ease at all.
I think we should understand that no condition is permanent, so that when we have problems in our lives, we should understand that in life we can’t always be happy or have all that we need. There could be setbacks too, because life is full of challenges.
Those who don’t have faith or don’t understand this become fragile when they have some ups and downs because they do not know what to do or how to get out of it. In Gambia, these people go to psychiatric hospitals.
In Italy, first, thanks to the explanations of my operators
L. and M. and my dear friend A., then thanks to the course for Cultural Mediators in Boston Group, and at least to the professional experiences and support offered by Maria, I understand the role that the psychologist can play.
In direct experience, it was immediately apparent that it was essential to grasp the aspects of diversity and contact in the idea of well-being, discomfort and care in the two cultures, to create a common language.”
