Case Report: Trauma group therapy with karate-do for war-traumatized children and adolescents

Abstract

Background: From the viewpoint of health and education, traumatized children and adolescents who have fled from war and conflict zones to Switzerland represent a high-risk group, as they suffer from psychiatric symptoms to an above-average extent and on several levels: somatic, psychological, psychosomatic, and psychosocial.

Objectives: The complexity and severity of these problems overwhelm the existing school structures in many cases: There is a clear need for psychotherapeutic interventions here that goes beyond purely verbal conversational therapy and provides an holistic concept.

Methods: We propose the following novel approach: "Trauma group therapy with karate-do for war-traumatized children and adolescents" which integrates and applies the evidence-based methods of integrative Budo-Therapy, trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) and Integrative Gestalt Therapy according to Dr. Hilarion Petzold (EAG-FPI) and validated it in a group of approximately 12 children from war and conflict zones who attend the public schools of the city of Zürich.

Results: Qualitative feedback received from the teachers is promising. They report that it is now better possible for the children who go to ouer "Trauma group therapy with karate-do for war-traumatized children and adolescents" to concentrate at school and also to better regulate their feelings.

Conclusion: Ouer approach seems to be a promising intervention for traumatized children and adolecents. Though it needs further evaluation.

Keywords: Karate-do; group therapy; man-made trauma; migration; self-defense; traumatization.