First Posted on July 21, 2011 by alisonball

As is evident from my name and if you talk to me, from my accent, I am one of these people who, many years ago, made Australia their preferred home.

Being a “stranger in a strange land” is not the only reason why people may experience that they do not belong, have feelings of estrangement, alienation and a sense of lack of roots.

These feelings are not felt exclusively by migrants; they may be experienced by people who for some reasons never “fitted in” within their family or school or society. These feelings may be felt also as a result of sudden sweeping changes in life conditions, being a minority, feeling different in whichever way, etc.

Meaningful connections with people allow for the growth of a new root. Just like the new seedling, when in an environment that meets its needs in a good enough way, it grows stronger and stable and with time can withstand the rough winds and variety of weather conditions.

For some people the meaningful connections are not easily established or not possible at all. They may live their lives in social isolation or they may grow bitter and have a sense of being “shrivelled up”
These are some of the issues that are worked through in the therapeutic relationship.