Researching trauma in relation to gross human rights violations: a psychoanalytic and reflexive account

The traumatic political upheavals in Ecuador during the 1980s and 1990s left a scar on the psychosocial wellbeing of the nation and its citizens. Focus groups were conducted with victims of these political traumas, specifically with Ecuadorian survivors whose cases were investigated by the Truth Commission of Ecuador (TCE). These data comprise participant accounts but also my feelings and reflexive responses to the research process. More specifically, the significance of researcher reflexivity and countertransference in creating a supportive research environment with participants who have been traumatised is explored. The researcher’s reflexive approach may offer a recognising experience for participants and has the potential to become a partially reparative and therapeutic experience. I also demonstrate how embracing my own vulnerability as a researcher meant latent and unconscious themes came closer to the surface, which led to enhanced research rapport and greater understanding in the data analysis phase.