In tense times, demand up for expat counseling

David Kennedy, Contributor, Jakarta

A respected Asian newsmagazine recently featured a story claiming that high profile Jakarta-based expatriates are being targeted by a terrorist hit squad. The cover photo -- depicting Western businessmen in the sights of a sharpshooter's gun -- had real shock value.

A week later the same magazine followed up their story, this time including the photograph of a blindfolded American hostage, subsequently beheaded by his captors in Saudi Arabia.

That photo had more than shock value; it scared the wits out of some people.

However, the flurry of recent press reports of "credible and specific" information regarding terrorist plots -- one of which turned out to be a disgruntled dentist terrorizing people by SMS -- has succeeded in raising the overall fear levels of expatriates living in the capital.

"Jackie," the wife of a senior official in an international organization, has nightmares that her husband will be abducted and murdered by terrorists.

"I must convince him to leave this place, he's a good man and he doesn't deserve that," she said recently, seemingly convinced the worst will happen.

Her distress illustrates the misgivings felt by many expatriates who chose to live in Indonesia following the Bali and JW Marriott Hotel bombings, despite continuing fears of terrorism and political instability.

On the other hand, less than 1 percent of Indonesians polled by the international election monitoring organization IFES felt that fighting terrorism was an issue in the recently held presidential election.

The country, according to psychologists, is perceived as a dangerous country by expatriates. Many do not choose to come here specifically, but rather accept a foreign posting for financial and career reasons.

"The Bali bombing (in October 2002) changed the perception of expatriates. It changed the way they feel, probably more than was necessary," explained Annette Akred, a counselor at the International Community Activity Center (ICAC), a non-profit organization in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta.

"That was reinforced by last year's Marriott Hotel bombing and other things that happened in the world. People's fears have been heightened and they can escalate very quickly.

"After the recent events in Saudi Arabia, some of my clients said they didn't know if it was a good idea to stay living abroad. People have been really quite frightened."

Akred and her colleagues counseled victims and volunteer workers after the Bali and the JW Marriott bombings. They recently reorganized their services to focus solely on individual counseling and orientation workshops in companies, scaling back the larger community role the center had since its creation in 1975.

ICAC was originally set up by a group of concerned parents to tackle drink and drug abuse among expatriate teenagers, and it grew from there to provide a range of services.

Since 2001, demand for counseling has increased by almost 50 percent and 1,132 people, mainly expatriates, were counseled last year.

While fear of terrorism is by no means the main cause of emotional and lifestyle problems which lead people to seek counseling, psychologists see it as a contributory factor which can exacerbate exiting problems.

"It adds another level of stress to anything else that families, couples or individuals may be dealing with," said psychologist Jenny Piva.

"It might not be at the forefront of their minds but it's always there; there's that uncertainty about what will happen."

Problems dealt with in counseling include "life transition issues", such as when one spouse works more than previously and the other is newly jobless or less active, substance abuse, relationship problems, depression, anxiety and loneliness.

Many companies have held "Critical Instance Debriefings" in the wake of terrorist attacks, but increasingly an anticipative approach is being adopted to offset problems encountered by employees.

As the only organization in the country legally entitled to employ psychologists and counselors from overseas ICAC has found itself well placed to provide tailor made programs for the employees of companies and their families to help them better adjust to life in Indonesia.

Jaspal Sidhu, a business consultant and board member of ICAC, said that with Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) becoming the norm among big firms in developed countries, companies here do not want to be caught out in a crisis.

"I am advising them to take measures now to support their staff because when something happens we get swamped with phone calls," exclaimed Jaspal, adding that as yet the center only employs two counselors but there are plans to expand.

Piva and Akred, both experienced Australian counselors, have begun to run a "flying doctor" type service traveling out to mining and oil operations in far flung regions at the request of major companies such as oil giant UNOCAL which recently contracted them to provide an Employee Assistance Program.

"The main aim is to enhance productivity of the employees using cross-cultural training and orientation and other tailor made services; it's mainly preventative and counseling is only the last step," said Akred, also a qualified social worker with experience in remote communities in Australia.

Information sessions, workshops, newsletter articles and advice on dealing with culture shock are the main services provided to companies; they are also offered by distance via e- mail and phone.

"It's often hard for people to know where to get information here and of course they find it difficult to take the first step," said Akred, describing how culture shock can sometimes add to emotional problems and lead to depression and isolation when people lack experience in living abroad.

"For example for the first few months here it's normal to feel tired. Just knowing it's normal can help; people may decide to retreat a bit, take up yoga for instance," she explained.

"But if that continues, and if a person feels isolated and starts to withdraw because they are finding their experience here really difficult that's a warning sign and they need to do something about it."

Getting help with personal problems without the whole town knowing is an issue for clients according to Annette Akred who describes the expatriate community as a "big kampung". Many clients arrive by taxi and ICAC guarantees confidentiality and often arranges counseling sessions in the evenings when people are concerned about raising suspicions at work or home.

"When we first speak to someone we go through an assessment process which means working with them to help them identify what the issues are what might be the best approach, whether it's counseling or something else," said Akred.

The profile of clients has begun to change in recent years reflecting a new demographic in the expatriate community.

"It's no longer the traditional family who live with their kids in Pondok Indah," said Akred, challenging the conservative stereotype of expatriates living comfortably in the southern suburbs of the city.

Today many of her clients are singles in their 20s and 30s working for NGOs or international organizations. Many find it particularly difficult to meet people and form meaningful relationships in Jakarta.

For families, couples and singles alike, pressure from their home country can further add to stress levels.

Indonesia, said Akred, suffers from particularly bad press abroad which, coupled with an uncertain political situation, can make relatives of Indonesian residents jittery.

"Families at home get worried and get stressed and that can lead to an added strain on those that are here. In fact that's a major pressure on people," added Piva.

Embassy travel advisories -- what one board member of ICAC terms "ass covering" -- often put pressure on people who are otherwise very happy living in Indonesia.

"It sounds worse outside of Indonesia then we all know the reality is."

Helping people to sift between perceptions and reality is a major part of the job of counselors and psychologists. But when reports of "credible and specific" threats leave people wondering where the next bomb will explode or whether there are sharpshooters on the rooftops of the CBD, that job becomes colossal.

"That pressure is another thing we need to deal with: convincing people that they are fine and that their children are not about to be bombed."

International Community Activity Center ICAC House, Jl. Bona Vista Raya, Lebak Bulus, Jakarta 12440 Tel: 021 758 16710 Counseling Direct line (Tel/Fax): 021 758 16704 E-mail: icaccounsel@cbn.net.id www.icachouse.or.id