A client-centered approach
Helping to heal the whole person
Individuals who have survived torture and war trauma are often left with feelings of personal insecurity and powerlessness. Their sense of trust and connection with others may be fragmented because of their experiences. For refugees, separation from home, family, and all that is familiar serves to heighten these feelings of isolation.
ASTT provides a caring, supportive environment in which survivors can regain a sense of safety, trust, and personal agency.
ASTT’s services for trauma survivors are comprehensive and progressive in nature. The ASTT approach
- combines traditional psychotherapy and culturally appropriate social support;
- addresses survivors’ needs — physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual — in a holistic way; and
- emphasizes partnership and self-empowerment.
All psychological and case management services for survivors are provided free of charge.
Building on the strength of the human spirit
All of ASTT’s work with torture survivors is based on the Strengths Perspective model. This approach is founded on the understanding that every individual has deep internal resources and the inherent capacity to transform his or her life. A key role of ASTT psychotherapists and case managers is to help survivors identify these strengths and build upon them.
The process of healing is undertaken in a spirit of partnership. The focus of this mutual effort is on the client’s abilities and aspirations, on his or her identity as a resilient and multifaceted individual rather than as a victim of past abuse.
As a result, ASTT clients are not passive recipients of treatment. Instead, they are key actors in the process of their recovery. The client controls the direction and pace of healing efforts, which take place at many levels.
Each client helps develop his or her own plan for personal wellness. This plan is based on individual needs as prioritized by the client; these may be psychosocial, medical, or legal in nature. Specific goals are then established with the aid of the client’s case manager, who coordinates in-house services — including psychological counseling, if requested — and provides referrals as needed.
Together, the client and case manager regularly review progress, discuss achievements and changes, and modify goals based on the client’s evolving situation and needs.
When a client is granted asylum, the ASTT case manager continues to provide assistance as needed. This may include helping the client gain access to benefits for which s/he has become eligible, or find information on educational or job opportunities.
At every stage of care, ASTT observes strict confidentiality of client information in accordance with HIPPA standards.
Stories of hope
The following stories exemplify the experiences of ASTT clients and the kind of change they have been able to achieve in their lives. These are not case studies per se; neither names nor real initials are used, and certain elements have been altered to protect client confidentiality.
Finding safe haven
In his homeland, T was a member of the political opposition. He worked with an organization that tried to end child exploitation, and spoke out openly about government misuse of public funds. Because of his activities, he was arrested six times and repeatedly tortured. After his last period of detention, lasting several months, he fled his country.
When T arrived in the United States, he had few resources or contacts. Eventually he found a place to live, but it was precarious and unsafe. Memories of what he had experienced during his time in prison returned again and again.
After being encouraged by an acquaintance to contact ASTT, T began to work with a staff psychologist. Over time, his memories of the trauma suffered in his home country gradually lessened. Through referrals by ASTT’s social worker, T found a safe and stable living situation and enrolled in English classes. The social worker also helped him find work in a local store, where he now has a full-time job.
Rediscovering hope for the future
J was arrested four times because of his involvement with a political group that supported democratic reform in his country. While in prison, he was beaten, his arm was broken, and he was tortured by electric shock.
Several of J’s family members and acquaintances had already been killed or “disappeared” because of their political activities. Despite this, J refused to give up his pro-democracy work. At the same time, he knew that the government was continuing to follow his activities, and that his next arrest might be his last. When word came that the military police were again looking for him, J’s friends urged him to leave the country. Not seeing any other option, he made his way to the United States.
Although he knew that fleeing his homeland had most likely saved his life, J experienced feelings of guilt over having relinquished his struggle for change there. After arriving in the U.S., he mostly kept to himself, preyed on by depression as well as chronic pain related to his injuries.
A lawyer who agreed to help J with his asylum case referred him to ASTT. J’s case manager at ASTT referred him to a hospital for treatment of the injuries caused by his torture. Psychotherapeutic sessions helped him make a return from isolation and severe depression.
Connecting with a local faith community has been important to J’s recovery. His self-esteem has been strengthened by participation in English classes, and he plans to take a course in computer skills as well. His chief hope for the future is to study law.
Rediscovering inner strength
Back in her home country, Y gave talks about political issues and encouraged women to exercise their right to vote. During a public rally in support of open and democratic election practices, she and her husband were both arrested. Held in a military prison for two months, she was repeatedly beaten and raped.
Y was released after her relatives collected money to give to a prison guard. Through friends, she learned that her husband has been killed while in detention. She had time only to make sure that her two young children were safe with family members who lived in the countryside before escaping to the United States, where she had a distant cousin.
Y was referred to ASTT by a doctor at the clinic where she went for treatment of abdominal pain associated with her abuse. Over the course of a year, Y met regularly with an ASTT psychotherapist who helped her progress along a path of healing from the deep trauma she had experienced.
In addition to writing a psychological report in support of her asylum case, ASTT also provided Y with referrals for housing and training opportunities.
Y was granted asylum in the United States. She immediately initiated the long process of bringing her two young children her to join her. The year after receiving asylum, Y earned her certification as a nursing assistant.