CVT Journal

May 2013 - Honoring Mother's Day -- Journal Entry by Erin Morgan, Clinical Advisor for CVT Jordan

We know parenting brings great joy, but it is also hard work. For some women we care for – whether in Kenya, Jordan or the United States – mothering is even harder because they’re dealing with fear, depression, anxiety, nightmares, and perhaps ongoing physical challenges as a result of their experiences.

April 2013  - Hassan's Healing Story

Hassan was kidnapped by a Syrian military faction and tortured for three months. He was deprived of sleep and subjected to a terrifying mock execution.

But after individual and group counseling with CVT, he now reports that his nightmares and anxiety have subsided.  He is better able to control his anger, which makes his family relationships not just easier, but more fulfilling. While war rages in his home country, Hassan is now finding joy in the small things of daily life and developing new relationships in his community.

March 2013 - Journal entry by Ann Willhoite, International Clinical Advisor, Partners in Trauma Healing Project

As an international clinical advisor for our global mental health projects, I feel fortunate to have the chance to visit CVT projects and partners around the world and work closely with them, their mental health workers, and the torture survivors they serve. My work took me to a program site in a remote village in Eastern Sri Lanka. As I sat on the ground, among a group of women in brightly colored saris, their stories conveyed to me the depth of anguish faced by the women of this village.

February 2013 - Journal entry by Gabriele Marini, Psychotherapist and Trainer in Gulu, Uganda

My name is Gabriele and I work as a psychotherapist in Uganda. I’m just starting my fourth year with CVT. My job is to train Ugandan counselors so they can help torture and war trauma survivors feel more powerful and able to change their lives. The survivors live scattered in the rural areas far from the place where I live.

September 2012 -- Journal entry by Nancy Pearson, New Tactics in Human Rights Training Manager

Earlier this year I traveled to Tunisia to observe a training session for our New Tactics in Human Rights work. It was a different situation for me because I typically facilitate trainings with human rights defenders from around the world so they can be more strategic and tactically effective in their work. Read more about Nancy’s work training human rights defenders.

June 2012 -- Journal entry by Craig Higson-Smith, Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor, Partners in Trauma Healing Project

I joined CVT for two reasons - to  continue my work in building the skills of people engaged in the fight against torture, and to carry on exploring the most effective ways of supporting torture survivors. Regardless of whether I work as a scientist, a teacher, or an activist, I am a part of an evolving international movement. Read more about Craig's work at CVT.

May 2012 - Journal entry by Neal Porter, Director of International Services

I recently returned from visiting our international healing project in Dadaab, Kenya, home to the world’s largest refugee camp. During my visit I got a chance to see the new CVT residence, which is in the final days of construction. After nearly a year and a half of operations in Dadaab, the new residence gives our staff a place for them to cool off, rest, and clean-up. Read more about Neal's trip to Dadaab.

April 2012 -- Journal entry by Kristi Rendahl, Organizational Development Advisor, Partners in Trauma Healing Project

On a day-trip to the Brčko District, a town in northern BiH, we visited the Association of Bosniak Concentration Camp Survivors in Brčko District. The president of the association spoke with an intensity I’ve seen only in people who have been in face-to-face battles around the world. He spoke of his two years in concentration camps in Brčko, never breaking eye contact with me. Read more about Kristi's experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

March 2012 -- Journal entry by Sara Feldman, psychotherapist and trainer in the Democratic Republic of Congo

In my work as a psychotherapist and trainer, I’m teaching local counselors how to lead therapy groups to help the Congolese people heal from the traumas they endured during the civil war. Read more about Sara's work in the DRC.