Ambiguous Loss and Missing Family Members in Refugees: Clinical Practice and Support
Held on 27 May 2026 | → View recording!
HOPE AND HEARTACHE: WORKING WITH REFUGEES FACING AMBIGUOUS LOSS AND MISSING FAMILY MEMBERS
Ambiguous loss is one of the most complex and enduring forms of trauma experienced by refugees and families separated by war, genocide, and forced migration. When loved ones are missing and their fate remains unknown, grief cannot be resolved, mourning rituals are disrupted, and individuals are left suspended between hope and despair. This ongoing uncertainty fractures identity, destabilises family roles, and can intensify survivor guilt, emotional distress, and prolonged suffering.
This free Clinical Master Class explores how clinicians can work therapeutically with ambiguous loss—supporting clients to live with unresolved grief while maintaining hope, meaning, and connection. Integrating theory, lived experience, and clinical practice, the session will examine how to hold space for both hope and heartache without imposing premature closure.
LEARN FROM LEADING EXPERTS IN AMBIGUOUS LOSS AND REFUGEE TRAUMA
Join Professor Sarah Wayland, internationally recognised expert in ambiguous loss, and Farhan Almito, STARTTS counsellor with lived experience of genocide and displacement, as they explore the theory and practice of working with unresolved disappearance. Together, they will integrate key frameworks with a powerful clinical case study, offering theory, practice, and lived insights into supporting clients living between hope and grief.
WHAT YOU’LL GAIN
- A deeper understanding of ambiguous loss and its psychological, relational, and cultural impacts on refugees and families affected by disappearance.
- Insights into how unresolved loss disrupts identity, family roles, and meaning-making processes.
- An understanding of concepts such as frozen grief, survivor guilt, and disenfranchised loss in contexts of forced migration.
- Practical, trauma-informed strategies for supporting clients living with ongoing uncertainty without forcing closure.
- A compelling case study illustrating therapeutic approaches to working with ambiguous loss in genocide-affected communities.
- Tools to hold space for both hope and despair while supporting client safety, dignity, and agency.
- The opportunity to engage directly with presenters during a live Q&A panel moderated by STARTTS CEO and Clinical Psychologist Jorge Aroche.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
- Psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, and social workers
- Clinicians working with refugees, asylum seekers, and trauma-affected populations
- Professionals supporting families of missing persons or those experiencing unresolved grief
- Caseworkers, community practitioners, and group facilitators
- Mental health and humanitarian workers supporting individuals affected by war, displacement, and loss
- Anyone interested in culturally responsive, trauma-informed approaches to complex grief and uncertainty
Professor Sarah Wayland
Professor Sarah Wayland is an internationally recognised social work academic specialising in grief, ambiguous loss, suicide prevention, and the psychosocial impacts of missing persons. Her work focuses on families living with unresolved loss, including those affected by forced migration, disaster, and complex trauma. She integrates theory, policy, and practice, drawing on ambiguous loss, disenfranchised grief, and socio-ecological frameworks to inform trauma-responsive approaches. Professor Wayland collaborates with police, mental health services, and community organisations to develop resources and interventions that improve support for affected families. She creates practical training and frameworks for practitioners. Her work also emphasises workforce wellbeing and culturally responsive care in contexts of prolonged uncertainty and loss.
Farhan Almito
Farhan Almito is a Counsellor with the STARTTS Direct Services Rural and Regional Team. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Duhok and a Diploma in Counselling from National Training Solutions, Australia. Arriving in Australia in 2019 as a refugee from an Ezidi background and survivor of ISIS atrocities, Farhan brings both lived experience and professional expertise to his work. He provides individual counselling and group programs for genocide-affected communities impacted by violence, displacement, and complex trauma. His practice is grounded in culturally responsive, trauma-informed care, with a focus on healing, resilience, and recovery. He is also a musician and fiction writer.
Jorge Aroche
Jorge Aroche is a clinical psychologist and STARTTS’ Chief Executive Officer. Jorge was born in Uruguay and has worked with migrants and refugee survivors of torture and organized violence since before 1989, when he joined STARTTS. He has led the organization since March 1997, through some of the most challenging times for refugee services in Australia, helping STARTTS grow from a dozen staff to more than 200, assuming a truly state-wide role and becoming a world leader in this field in the process, while continuing to learn from its clients, its culturally diverse staff and the latest scientific advances. Jorge has also held a number of honorary positions in international humanitarian organizations, Australia government advisory bodies and NGO boards. He was the President of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) from 2016 until November 2020.
FORMAT AND INCLUSIONS
Presented by experts in the refugee trauma field
Includes real-life scenarios, practical tips and a Q&A panel
Claim 1.5 CPD points
Receive a certificate of completion and a PDF of the presentation slides
Free access to the webinar recording
WATCH THE RECORDING
Watch the recording now via the on-demand replay and watch at your convenience. The full catalogue of recorded webinars is available here.
CONTACT US
stts-training@health.nsw.gov.au
(02) 9646 6700 Ask for the Training Administration Officer