The needs of refugees are of pivotal concern internationally. Relational trauma, in particular, is an area that is under-emphasised and under-researched. The strength to strength program (STS) was a rare, innovative relationship and family counselling service for recently-arrived refugees in Sydney, Australia during 2006–2014. The service model built on post-Milan systemic family therapy principles to include innovative cultural and trauma-informed aspects of care.

We were interested in the experiences of staff who delivered the program, and the ways in which more traditional, Western-informed modes of family therapy were transformed by the needs of refugee clients.

To identify and describe transformations to the delivery of relationship and family counselling with refugees that enabled care, from the perspective of staff.

A thematic analysis, guided by interpretive description, of individual interviews and focus groups with STS service staff (n = 20), including family therapists, bicultural workers and managers.

Key themes pertaining to innovative aspects of the relationship and family counselling service provided by STS staff will be outlined and lessons for future service provision in this space considered.

STS is an example of staff-driven innovation to the therapeutic care of refugee families resettling in Western countries, taking into account the unique and complex set of cultural, practical and psychological needs. Important and timely lessons for future service delivery can be drawn from qualitative inquiry into the experiences of staff who deliver such programs, with refugee numbers continuing to increase internationally.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.