Abstract
Uprooted families can get lost in the ways of exile. Genetic, cultural and environmental factors can affect the psychic balance of these migrants, especially when faced with unexplained illness or suffering in their children. Migration and uprooting may involve loss of roots linked to traditions, leaving families deprived of their interpretive and explanatory baggage, which are necessary for the cultural readings of their child’s psychic and physical suffering, sometimes considered as special. We propose a reflection on these issues, based on a case study, resulting from the experience of the first author with an interdisciplinary clinic, as required by the transcultural framework, which becomes variable and complementary, respecting cultural diversity. We also observe the etiological discourses constructed on these psychic sufferings that invade the development of the child and the family balance.
Keywords
Transcultural clinic; Culture; Uprooting; Migration; Parenthood