Paxion: Psychological Support for Refugees

Refugees come to Switzerland hoping for a better life, but many carry traumatic experiences. This burden adds to the challenge of arriving and settling in. They struggle to find help and easily accessible services offering support and perspective.

Self-efficacy through counselling

The Paxion project aims to close this gap with support from the Migros Pioneer Fund. It offers refugees psychosocial counselling at eye level, provided by people with their own flight or migration story. The counsellors speak the clients’ native language and have qualifications from their home countries. They have also received one year of training in value-based counselling, a tried-and-tested, low-threshold method aiming to strengthen refugees’ mental health and self-efficacy. The counsellors are continuously supported by experienced trauma therapists. Paxion is currently working in the cantons of Aargau and Zug. Within the funding, the service shall be expanded throughout Switzerland and embedded in cantonal social affairs and healthcare processes.

Mental resilience strengthens cohesion

By supporting refugees’ resilience and self-efficacy, Paxion aims to foster inclusion, strengthening society as a whole.