Our Impact: It’s All About the Coach/Client Relationship

As many of you may know, RJS completed a research study in Athens, Greece in 2024 on the “Efficacy of Coaching Refugees on Their Well-Being and Employability.” The results of our research concluded that coaching significantly increased the well-being of refugees by increasing their self-awareness, hope, and resilience. Coaching created the psychological foundation necessary for long-term integration and success.

I was curious if it was something specific about our RJS Coaching methodology that had such a positive impact on our clients’ well-being or was it something else? So I began to dig into some research on this topic.

I first turned to the research of one of our former clients, Suheil Alkaraaza, a Syrian refugee. Suheil came to Greece as an Accompanied Minor and is now completing his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Webster University in Athens, thanks to a scholarship offered by one of our generous RJS donors. For his senior thesis, he chose to do research on The Impact of Social Support on Mental Health & Well-Being Among Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and NGO Workers in Greece. Summarizing some of his quantitative and qualitative results, he found that:

• Individuals who feel supported are more likely to cope effectively with stress, maintain psychological balance, and experience a greater sense of well-being in demanding environments.

• While family support and friend support were significant predictors of psychological well-being, the support of a significant other was the strongest predictor, accounted for over 50% of the variance in well-being scores.

• Participants emphasized that “ideal support” is relational rather than transactional described as sustained emotional presence, empathy, and companionship rather than one-time gestures. As one participant noted:

“We need people who don’t just ‘help’ us but walk with us.”

• Strong social ties can buffer against stress and enhance mental resiliency, particularly in vulnerable or high-pressure settings (Zimet et al., 1988; Cohen et al., 2000

Our Coaching

These findings mirror what our research clients said contributed to their enhanced well-being, compared to those who did not receive the coaching. As one of our research participants said:

“For the first time, I felt like someone truly believed in me and walked beside me.”

When we place Suheil’s findings alongside ours, a clear picture emerges: it is the power of significant relationships (beyond just family and friends) that has the greatest impact on strengthening well-being, thereby transforming lives.

That’s what our coaches provide.

At Refugee JumpStart Coaching, we believe this is what makes our coaching unique in the refugee support world. It is not a one-time service, but a sustained, relational model of support. We provide consistent, empathetic, compassionate, and trusted professional coaches who stand by their clients' side, supporting them on their refugee journey to stability and integration.

This is the work we will continue to scale globally. Because the lessons from research and our own coaching experience are simple, yet profound: well-being begins with being seen, heard, and supported.

If you’d like to help us further our mission and help provide coaching to other smart, talented refugees like Suheil, please donate. Thank you!