Answer To: I need a review of several Literature written in the past 5 years concerning Refugees, especially,...
David answered on Dec 27 2021
Running Head: LIBERIAN AND PASTORAL COUNSELING - LITERATURE REVIEW 1
A Literature Review of Liberian and Pastoral Counseling
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LIBERIAN AND PASTORAL COUNSELING - LITERATURE REVIEW 2
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 3
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Research Question ...................................................................................................................... 4
Research Objective ..................................................................................................................... 4
Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 4
Literature Review............................................................................................................................ 5
Analysis......................................................................................................................................... 10
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 15
References ..................................................................................................................................... 16
LIBERIAN AND PASTORAL COUNSELING - LITERATURE REVIEW 3
Executive Summary
Refugees are those people who have migrated from their land to another land without any
option. Refugees are people who have a higher level of solidarity and attachment with their
country. Refugees always focus on return to their country once the situation in the country
returns to normal. Refugees reveal to the entire world about the imbalances that are existing in
this modern world. Refugees are people move from one country to another country. The world is
a diverse place and has more culture, languages, and beliefs. There more difference in the
opinion and behavior of the people. It is essential for the people hosting the refugees to
understand the differences and treat them with dignity (Haase, 2015).
Liberian refugees are refugees from Liberia who ran away from their land to seek better
shelter and protect their lives. Autocratic rule and slavery in the country resulted in huge trouble
to people. Deprivation from education, basic human needs and working like a bonded slave made
the people raise their voice against their leaders in the country. Their voice for right brought to
their livelihood in the region and people were forced to flee from their land to protect their life.
They were reaching out to Ghana expecting for a better shelter and hospitality for the refugees as
they are aware of the condition in Liberia and the torture the people were undergoing. But
unfortunately, their expectations were tarnished by the behavior of the people in the camp and
made them realize that they have to head to a different destination for safeguarding their lives.
There is a requirement for more patience and care in handling the Liberian refugee as
their religious belief are entire contradicting the fundamentals of Christianity that makes pastor
counselors to handle them with more challenges (Younger, 2013). Pastor counselor’s approaches
are entirely different from the other counseling approaches. Pastor counselors mainly focus on
spiritual ideologies in providing counseling. There are various cultural differences present across
the world, but the humanity remains unchanged, and it is essential to extend them to people who
require them as per pastor counseling concepts. Pastor counseling is more value-based, and they
always take the extra mile in looking at a problem and in determining a solution to them.
Pastor counselors are facing more challenges in understanding the differences and
incorporating all their values in providing the counseling services to the people. Pastor
counselors always make use of biblical reference in providing counseling to the people. Pastor
counseling makes use of more biblical stories to provide their services to the people. It might not
be accepted by the Liberian refugee directly due to the difference present between their belief
and the advice provided by the pastors. There are various challenges for the pastor counselors in
handling the refugees especially Liberian refugees who have different values. It is essential for
them to have a deep understanding of the problematic areas before forming a suitable strategy in
addressing them effectively and in providing the best suitable solution to them in overcoming the
various challenges that are lying on their way.
This paper is mainly focused on analyzing the problems that are faced by the pastor
counselors in providing counseling services to the Liberian refugees and the possible solutions
and strategies that can be used by them to overcome all the odds. The ultimate aim of the
research is to provide the best solution to the various problems faced by the pastor counseling in
handling the refugees. It will result in improving the overall quality of service rendered by them
to the refugees.
LIBERIAN AND PASTORAL COUNSELING - LITERATURE REVIEW 4
Introduction
Refugees are an indication of the existence of violence and the unsafe living environment
in this modern world. Treating them with respect is mandatory. Refuges psychological
conditions are entirely different from the other people. They are highly depressed and
traumatized due to the various things that they have undergone in their life before reaching a safe
land to begin their new life. They have a lower level of trust over the other people across the
globe, and they are highly insecure about their life. They are sensitive and complicated to handle
them. Besides counseling, they require psychological healing to make them overcome the pain
that they have undergone.
All refugees have different problems, and they come from a different background, but
they all have similar psychological imbalances. Liberian refugees have a different problem they
were living like slave besides undergoing various problems like other refugees who have faced
more trouble. The thinking ability of the Liberian refugees was highly influenced, and their
behavior is like slaves as they were meant to live like a slave by their country leaders. It has
made them more complex, and they have different social beliefs and values. It makes them more
resistant to accepting to change their belief irrespective of they not being acceptable as per their
religion Christianity.
Poster counseling is the best counseling that can be given to any refugee in the world.
They understand the human as it is and go deeper into their minds to heal them. They take all
initiatives in understanding the problem faced by these people and focuses on gaining more
confidence from the people before they begin their preaching to people. Poster counseling carries
biblical values, and they involve more in preaching. Preaching is the best healing they are well
experienced in handling people from a different cultural background as they preach the essence
from the bible and treat people from all religion good. But there are contradictions present in the
fundamental values between the Liberian refugee Christians and pastoral counselors, and it
creates more challenges in handling them effectively by pastor counselor.
Research Question
“How to deal with the problem of Pastoral Counseling with Refugees from Liberia?”
Research Objective
The research aims at providing the best solution to solve the problem faced by the pastor
counselors in handling the refugees, especially from Liberia. The research process begins by
determining the various problems associated with the pastor counseling in dealing with the
Liberian refugees.
Methodology
In this paper, there is a detailed discussion about the problems associated the pastor
counseling in handling Liberian refugees and the solution to overcome the challenges. In this
paper literature review is made to have an in-depth understanding of the problems. It is essential
for making use of various theories to understand the actual problem that exists for the pastor-
counselor in providing counseling solution to the Liberian refuge for determining the suitable
solution. In this paper, there is a clear analysis of the problem and solution to that determined
problem to the pastor counseling.
LIBERIAN AND PASTORAL COUNSELING - LITERATURE REVIEW 5
Literature Review
Refugees are those who have fled from their native country to another foreign land
without any prospect to live their life in their motherland for safeguarding their life and their
family. Liberian refugees have undergone more trauma because for many decades these people
were treated as slaves and were deprived of the basic human needs and rights that made them
different from the people who were living in a democratic social life. The eco-developmental
theory is one of the theories that explain the attributes of the Liberian refugees.
As per the Eco-developmental theory surroundings of the people are the major influencer
of the characteristics of the people (Görlitz, Harloff, Mey, & Valsiner, 2012). Various individual
micro-systems are creating more influence over the individual behavior, and that can be found in
the behavior of refugees. It creates more challenge for the pastor counseling. Pastor counselors
integrate the spiritual thoughts, faith, and theology with the psychology to provide counseling to
the refugees that are creating more challenges to the pastoral counselor.
In case of Liberian refugees, they are exposed to higher level of brutality, and they were
deprived of all the basic needs that made them reluctant to the spiritual integration of pastor
counselor while dealing with the people. As per eco-developmental theory, the external factors
create an internal influence that causes more conflicts, and that is high prevalence in case of
Liberian refugees. In Liberia, the minority Americo-Liberians was dominating the entire country,
and they are white skinned people (Doe, n.d.).
Liberian refugees are born and brought up in a situation where the 3% of the niche group
in their country rule the rest. It created hate in their mind, and they were not ready to accept the
words of pastor counselor with their prejudice about white people. As per the assimilation
theory, it is challenging for the people from different country obtaining the refugee status to
accustom to the ideology and lifestyle of the host the country (Görlitz, Harloff, Mey, & Valsiner,
2012). In case of Liberian, they have a higher level of solidarity that made them resistant to
cooperate with the pastor counselors.
Pastor counselor not alone deal with the concerned person they pay more attention to
their surroundings and have contact with their friends and family which was not appreciated by
them. Liberian refuge as they began to perceive that the counselor will dominate their
community and them in future. In this case, assimilation theory is challenged as biopsychological
theory is more relevant to explain the Liberian refugee behavior towards the pastor counselors
(Görlitz, Harloff, Mey, & Valsiner, 2012). As per biopsychology theory, it is essential to pay
more attention to the problem faced by the people rather than focusing on people. Pastor
Counsellor aims at solving the problem from root level and to create more value to the people.
In case of Liberian refugee, they were treated as a salve that made them look everything
different from the others. Pastor counselors face issues with the difference in culture and
language to establish a connection with the Liberian refugees who were not flexible. As per the
biopsychological theory, a behavior of an individual is highly connected with the biological,
psychological, social and cultural factors. Pastor Counsellors are highly based on the values and
more on biblical concepts it causes restrictions in rendering their services.
Pastor counselors are working with a certain level of boundaries, and they are expected to
uphold their values and fundamentals when they are providing their services to the people. In
case of Liberian refugees, there was a requirement for an extra-mile that was beyond the
boundaries of pastor counselor as they were expected to understand their position from Liberian
refugee perspective. Preaching is highly valued by a pastoral counselor that was not easily
accepted by the Liberian.
LIBERIAN AND PASTORAL COUNSELING - LITERATURE REVIEW 6
The main conflict was due to the difference in the ideology and the approach towards the
same religion Christianity. In this case, the explanation of biopsychology holds true as it
indicates that the behavior, attitude, and ideology of an individual is highly influenced by the
external, social and cultural factors. In Liberia, about 85.6% of the people are following
Christianity that expects to create a better synchronization with the pastor-counselor, but it is not
true.
Instead, it created more strain in the relationship between the Liberian refugee and
pastoral counselor. Secrete society is present among the Liberians. They have their beliefs that
were inclined towards the warrior cults, witchcraft, evil spirit, reincarnation and sacrifices to
ancestors. All these principles that are soaked in the mentality of Liberian Christians created
more trouble for the pastoral counselor to counsel them using the theology and religious faith.
The pastor counselor has in-depth knowledge about the religion, and they provide right direction
to many people.
In this case, it was a challenge because both were Christians, but the fundamental roots
and belief were different. It created more challenge to the pastor-counselor in making use of
theology or faith in counseling them and motivating them. The biopsychology theory is more
suitable to explain a problem faced by the pastor-counselor and Liberian refugee. The
psychological conditions of Liberian refugee were vulnerable reemphasizing thoughts about the
fact or reality related to belief will make them lose confidence over their future.
In this case, there is an issue with social identity theory (Görlitz, Harloff, Mey, &
Valsiner, 2012). If the pastor-counselor as per their training and guidelines providing counseling
to the Liberian refugee, then it will challenge their social identity and will create more trouble for
the people. As per the social identity theory, every social group has their belief, concept, and
characteristics. If the counselor is not understanding them and began to provide their service to
the people it creates more trouble.
The problem between pastor counselor and Liberian refugee can be explained using
social identity theory which pays more attention to providing recognition to the social identity of
the individual. The pastor counselor has to make use of cognitive theory to handle the Liberian
refugee so that it will not cause any ethical dilemma to their code of ethics and at the same time
will not create any problem to the Liberian refugee. As per cognitive theory, it is essential for the
pastor-counselor to pay more attention to the situation and understand the background of the
people by exchanging words with them (Maynard & Snodgrass, 2015).
It is essential for the pastor-counselor to know the Liberian people before beginning their
conversation so that it will not create any challenge to the social identity of the Liberian refugee.
There is a requirement to pay more attention to the psychological condition of the people before
beginning the counseling process. As per cognitive dissonance, there will be a conflict between
two groups or different people when there is the difference in the belief (Görlitz, Harloff, Mey,
& Valsiner, 2012). In this case, the belief of Liberian refugee and the pastor-counselor are
entirely different under the same roof.
It is the main reason for the problem for pastor counselor in effectively handling the
Liberian refugees. Belief is the main driver for the pastor-counselor, and when they are perceived
in the wrong manner it is their responsibility to correct them but it will challenge the social
identity of Liberian refugee and will result in more trouble between them. The situation of
Liberian refugee can be explained using the identity status theory it explains the evolution of
identity for an individual (Görlitz, Harloff, Mey, & Valsiner, 2012).
LIBERIAN AND PASTORAL COUNSELING - LITERATURE REVIEW 7
In case of Liberian refugee, there is no such evolution, and their identity stood at the
identity diffusion stage where there is...