Letting yourself feel disoriented
We interviewed Chiara Dragoni, Psychologist and Transcultural Psychotherapist, who spoke to us about the GRT Clinical Center.
Read more below!
What does the Clinical Center do?
The Integrated Transcultural Clinical Center aims to be a place of self-discovery and self-knowledge, helping people make sense of what they are experiencing and find their own well-being. It is accessible to everyone and is open to anyone who feels the need for support in different forms: Italian citizens, first- and second-generation migrants, mixed couples… through private sessions, reduced-fee services, or within projects run in partnership with local services.
When was it founded and what was the idea behind it?
The idea of creating a Clinical Center was born about ten years ago, from the desire of some former students of the School of Transcultural Psychotherapy to put their clinical training into practice and find a physical space in which to do so. Remaining in the place where the transcultural approach originated has intrinsic value for therapists: it means carrying forward the theoretical model, continuing to be nourished by it, and enriching it through practice.
Over the past two years, we have formally established ourselves as a fully-fledged Clinical Center: we have structured ourselves as a team, adopted internal regulations, defined a clear methodology, and integrated our work with other GRT professionals—educators, anthropologists, mediators, and staff involved in national and international projects. Being part of GRT, an NGO active in Italy and abroad on mental health projects, is a source of richness, exchange, and transcultural integration. Being transcultural therapists in the social field means translating this approach into project design related to migration, reception, and local systems of care. For this reason, we also offer support pathways for professionals through specific training courses and supervision.
The Clinical Center is open to all people who are experiencing distress and wish to find a response.
What does it mean to have a transcultural approach within therapy?
It means understanding the person’s “cultural self,” where “the patient is my teacher” and the therapist allows themselves to feel disoriented, entering new ways of thinking and giving new names to what the other person experiences and feels. This approach moves across cultures, acquiring new skills. It is enriched by many forms of knowledge and cultures, takes nothing for granted, and takes the time to understand without judgment or prejudice, seeing the person as a whole. For us, newness and diversity are sources of richness, not something to be pushed away.
Why can the transcultural approach be particularly effective for people who turn to the Center?
The transcultural approach is flexible and helps people understand themselves through their own cultural knowledge, reinterpreting it in relation to their lived experiences. Each person can rediscover themselves, make sense of who they are, and rebuild their own path, creating new bridges toward realities they need to face or rethink. We support people in understanding both “classic” forms of distress and pathology and those that are culturally shaped, with the aim of achieving a new balance and a deep sense of acceptance.
How can you access the Center?
You can access the Center by:
Filling out the form on the website: grtitalia.org
Calling: +39 02 26681866
Writing an email to: centroclinico@grtitalia.org
In your request, it is helpful to explain your needs so that we can match you with the most suitable therapist.
We guarantee a response within 48 hours and a first appointment within one week.
