The Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture (TRC)

The Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture (TRC) is a non-governmental, nonprofit organisation that provides comprehensive psychosocial services to survivors of torture and organised violence in the West Bank in the Palestinian Territories.

TRC works to reduce the traumatic and devastating physical and psychological consequences of torture and organised violence and reduce retaliatory acts by offering victims and their families comprehensive medical, physical, psychiatric, and psychological care completely free-of-charge in a safe and comfortable atmosphere.

TRC also works to prevent and combat torture, violence, and impunity through training, research, and advocacy.

The Dulwich Centre Foundation (International) has a long history of working in partnership with the TRC, and providing training to its workers. To the following articles, published in The International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, detail the approach of the TRC, as well as how they have taken up narrative ideas in their practice:

When the trauma is not past or 'post': Palestinian perspectives on responding to trauma and torture.

This collection of writings and interviews describes the work of TRC:

• Responding to continuing traumatic events, Dr Mahmud Sehwail
• A human rights approach to psychotherapy, Khader Rasras
• Glimpses of therapeutic conversations: Engaging with narrative ideas – Bilal Hassounh, Iman Ja'ouni, Deema Al Tibi, Amani Al-Jamal, Maryam Burqan, Wisam Abdallah
• Public speech: Bringing people together, Faiseh Muhtaseb
• The media as an avenue for therapeutic and community work, Hasan Salim

Seasons of Life: Ex-detainess reclaiming their lives, Nihaya Mahmud Abu-Rayyan

This paper describes therapeutic/psychosocial support work with Palestinian ex-prisoners. This work draws upon imagery from nature’s seasons and elements to create conversations based on a ‘seasons of life’ metaphor. This metaphor enables ex-detainees to trace their journey through the stages of detention, incarceration, and release into society. This approach offers opportunities for ex-detainees to offer double-storied testimonies of their prison experiences and to draw upon the skills and knowledges they used to endure incarceration in order to move forward with their lives.

For more information about the TRC, visit www.trc-pal.org