Supporting Humanitarian Aid Workers

Policy changes impacting U.S. foreign assistance have resulted in widespread disruptions across the humanitarian aid sector. Over 20,000 aid workers are out of work, and further layoffs are anticipated as funding uncertainties and program suspensions continue. Those with careers connected to federal regulatory agencies or the renewable energy and clean-tech sectors, and those working in healthcare programs dependent on the Affordable Care Act, will likely be in a similar situation soon. For many, the grief is more than professional—it’s personal and existential.

Humanitarian aid workers are often deeply empathic, driven by a mission to alleviate human suffering. They work long hours under immense pressure, frequently with limited resources, all while navigating complex cultural and political landscapes. Burnout has been a common theme in therapy work, a relentless tug-of-war between their desire to make a difference and the personal toll of their work.

Limitations of traditional therapeutic models

As therapists trained in systemic and narrative approaches, we can conceptualize the complexities involved in job loss differently than those from more individualistic perspectives. Interventions can be as simplistic as merely encouraging the changing of one’s thoughts. I’ve found that conventional models like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), while valuable at times, often fall short in addressing the depth of existential loss currently experienced by humanitarian aid workers. CBT focuses on changing thought patterns and behaviors, but it can feel reductive when clients are grappling with systemic injustice, moral injury, and sometimes feelings of complicity in abandoning vulnerable communities due to forces beyond their control.

Many of the professionals I work with are experiencing self-doubt about their professional contributions and competencies. I have found it useful to draw on the idea of conscientization, a core concept in Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy (2000) that helps people develop a more critical view of the world. This can lead to social change and empowerment. In my view, this is compatible with Bowen’s “differentiation of self” in that it captures the spirit of conscientization by helping individuals step back from ingrained emotional or relational patterns, develop critical insight, and ultimately take more intentional, self-directed actions within their familial and broader social systems. Family therapists are positioned to help as systems theory broadens the lens beyond the individual, recognizing that every career decision is part of a larger relational, cultural matrix.

Supporting Humanitarian Aid Workers

Source: AAMFT/Used with permission

Similarly, standard career counseling models may not fully address the spiritual and existential dimensions of job loss in this context. For many aid workers, their careers are not simply “jobs”; they are callings deeply interwoven with personal values, family-of-origin influences, and faith commitments. When that calling is disrupted, it can trigger a profound crisis of meaning. Dorothy Becvar’s work (1997) reminds us that spirituality can serve as a powerful resource in navigating crises, yet for these workers, that resource is now shaken. Froma Walsh (2012) similarly highlights the role of faith as a protective factor during adversity, making its disruption even more destabilizing. In these moments, William Doherty’s (1995) call for therapists to help clients reconnect with their values and moral clarity becomes crucial. Some are struggling with questions such as, “What does my faith mean if my community is celebrating the suffering of those I have dedicated my life to serving?” Our work as therapists is to create a supportive space in which they can explore that type of question, guiding them with compassion as they rebuild their sense of purpose.

By acknowledging the depth of their loss and guiding them toward rediscovering meaning and connection, we can support them as they rebuild their lives. These individuals have spent their careers holding space for the suffering of others. Now, we must hold space for them.

The following are ways to integrate systemic approaches with career counseling and meaning-making into the existing therapeutic framework.

Acknowledge the loss: Validate the multidimensional grief aid workers experience. This isn’t just about income; it’s the loss of community, identity, and moral purpose.

Name moral injury: Introduce the concept of moral injury, the distress experienced when individuals witness actions that violate their moral beliefs.

Explore family and systemic influences on work identity:

• Context matters: From a systemic lens, career choices, burnout, or guilt often stem from family-of-origin messages about work, service, or “success.” Encourage clients to reflect on how these beliefs shape their current reactions.
• Genograms and family mapping: Use genograms or other mapping techniques to uncover patterns, maybe a tradition of serving in missionary work, or unspoken family rules about “never quitting.” Such exploration can help clients see they’re not failing as individuals; they’re wrestling with generational narratives.

Integrate Narrative Therapy: Thicken the stories about their loss of employment. Encourage clients to rewrite their professional narratives. Their dedication to service can continue in new forms, including advocacy, volunteering, or storytelling.

Address the spiritual dimension: For those rooted in faith, acknowledge the spiritual crisis that may accompany this transition. Invite clients to explore how their beliefs can sustain them while also creating space for the possibility that they may need to re-envision their spirituality.

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Build community: Encourage clients to stay connected with former colleagues or like-minded groups. Creating peer support networks can reduce isolation and offer a collective space to process shared challenges.

Normalize rest: The dramatic shift from intense days to being unemployed is jarring. Aid workers often operate in a state of hypervigilance for years. Help clients reframe rest not as “giving up” but as a crucial step toward long-term resilience.

Advocacy as healing: Encourage clients to channel their grief into constructive action—policy advocacy, public speaking, or community organizing.

This is not the end of the conversation in society, but rather a pause. Humanitarian aid work will continue because the need persists. As family therapists, we have a vital role to play in supporting those on the frontlines, helping them process their grief, reclaim their narratives, and rebuild their sense of purpose. In doing so, we reaffirm our own commitment to healing, justice, and the belief that even in loss, new growth is possible.

Jason Platt

Source: AAMFT / Used with permission

Jason Platt, PhD, is an AAMFT member and bilingual therapist with over 22 years of experience in individual and couple therapy. He is based in Mexico City and provides culturally attuned therapy to a diverse range of clients, including expats, locals, and international couples.