Matz Sparrman: "Of course, I couldn't give them work, but I could help them to move the bad focus from themselves to the structural problem with society and the economy."
– It’s important to have someone to talk to about what this unemployment may do to them, to help them to share and know that they are still worth something, even if they feel momentarily worthless.
I’m talking with Matz Sparrman, a retired psychotherapist, about how the recent job cuts at Northvolt might affect people.
Matz calls himself an “immigrant” to Skellefteå. He was born in Stockholm but moved around a lot as a child because his dad worked in pharmaceuticals. During his national service in Umeå, he decided he didn’t want to carry a gun. Instead, he was allowed to work in the psychiatric unit at University Hospital.
After a couple of years, he was given the chance to start a psychiatric unit in Skellefteå. That was back in January 1977, and he’s been here for nearly 48 years. I ask him how easy it was to settle in Skellefteå, and he says:
– Since Umeå has more students coming and going there is more of a flow of people. I think it might be a little harder to learn to know people in Skellefteå because many have lived here their whole lives, and they're used to being with people they've grown up with. It doesn't mean that they are hostile, but it can be perceived as being unfriendly.
Matz remembers a time in the 1970s when many local women in Skellefteå worked at a textile factory connected to a larger one down south. These women felt proud and good about having a steady salary. But after a few years, the economy dipped, the textile factories were shut down, and many faced unemployment.
Matz treated some of these women in the psychiatric unit. He saw that many had trouble sleeping and felt anxious and very self-critical. Even though the lay-offs were due to a wider economic issue, these women blamed themselves. Matz helped them understand that it wasn’t their fault and helped them stop feeling worthless or like they were good for nothing.
– It was about making them think, "Yeah, this is bad, but it doesn't mean I am bad." Of course, I couldn't give them work, but I could help them to move the negative focus from themselves to the structural problem with society and the economy.
Now, with Northvolt's recent layoffs, many are in a similar position, only this time it’s even harder for some who’ve moved with their families from other countries to start fresh. Matz and the St. Lukas clinic in Skellefteå are now stepping in to help.
In 2004, Matz co-founded the St. Lukas psychotherapy unit in Skellefteå to support people in both private and public sectors as well as individuals. After learning about the Northvolt job cuts, Marina Georgescu, chair of Expats & Friends Skellefteå, contacted the St. Lukas board to ask if they could provide free therapy for those affected.
The clinic, with a team of six therapists, was already very busy. But the board reached out to Matz to see if he could help, and thanks to their generosity, St. Lukas will offer 5 group counseling sessions (with six in each group) at their office on Stationsgatan.
To conclude our interview Matz says:
– I have listened to people who have the experience of being very isolated. They stop connecting with people. I think taking the isolation position is the most dangerous, because there is no one else, you are competing with your own thoughts. The most danger is when some people do not seek help because they don't think that they are worth it.
The group therapy sessions start on Monday, November 4.
Sign-up here