A PSYCHOANALYTIC READING OF THE PEER SUPPORT THERAPEUTIC INSTRUMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF FORCED DISPLACEMENT AS A RESULT OF WARS AND CONFLICTS

ABSTRACT: This article explores Peer Support intervention as a therapeutic tool for displaced individuals affected by conflict, from a psychoanalytic perspective. Conducted as part of a Clinical Psychology doctoral project at ISPA-Lisboa, the study uses a qualitative approach involving interviews with seven displaced people from Syria, Lebanon, Brazil, Iran, Palestine, and Jordan. Participants, some with physical war injuries, served in peer support roles regardless of their injury status. Using the Free Association Narrative Interview (FANI) method, the study examines themes of Naming, Identity, and Identification to access deep intersubjective processes. Findings suggest that Peer Support fosters identity redefinition and self-positioning within social bonds, addressing the unique identity needs of displaced individuals. This method of intervention offers a therapeutic function by creating a relational “self-other” axis, helping individuals reclaim identity and psychological stability amid forced displacement. KEYWORDS: Peer-to-peer; psychoanalysis; forced displacement; armed conflict.