Rebuilding Lives After Human Rights Trauma

Bembe* – a 32-year-old father and husband – experienced severe physical and emotional violence in Guatemala because he is Maya Mam, an indigenous population facing extreme oppression in Guatemala. When the harm Bembe and his family experienced escalated to torture, they were forced to flee Guatemala to seek safety. After enduring a treacherous journey by foot and train to the United States, they applied for asylum in the Bay Area. 

Bembe carried fear, PTSD, depression, and physical injuries, making life close to impossible. Though he spoke little Spanish and no English, Bembe found his way to Partnerships for Trauma Recovery (PTR), where he began a road to recovery with therapy, case management, and an interpreter in his native language, Mam. Though therapy was unfamiliar in his culture, he worked closely with PTR’s therapist, case manager, and interpreter to address his trauma. Case management included finding a job for Bembe, stable housing and medical care for his family, and navigating his child’s school system. Over time, Bembe’s physical and mental health improved, and like hundreds of PTR’s clients, he has rebuilt his life in the Bay Area and is now thriving. PTR’s intervention helped transform Bembe’s story of trauma, fear, and pain into one of strength, resilience, and hope.

Since opening in 2015, PTR has touched the lives of hundreds of survivors of torture like Bembe. PTR’s clients have come from over 60 countries, including Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, and Mexico, and approximately 80% have survived torture. Over 60% of clients are women, many facing gender-based violence, and approximately 20% are LGBTQ+ fleeing identity-based persecution. Overall, refugee rates of PTSD are 10 times higher than the general population. PTR understands that recovering from the deep emotional wounds of human rights abuses is challenging but possible. They are dedicated to healing the psychological and psychosocial impacts of trauma among international survivors of human rights abuses, torture, and other forms of interpersonal violence.

What makes PTR unique is that clients like Bembe, benefit from a comprehensive range of trauma recovery services. These include individual therapy, group counseling, case management, and community outreach, all supported by interpreters to ensure clients receive assistance in their native languages. PTR has offered services in over 24 languages. In 2023, 72% of sessions were conducted in a language other than English. 

In addition, PTR’s approach is culturally aware and trauma-informed, ensuring each client receives care that honors their background and unique experiences. Individually tailored interventions that are relevant to cultural and community contexts enable people to finally speak about what was previously unspeakable, directly address their emotional and physical symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, and acquire skills to manage and reduce their distress. A full 81% of clients receiving therapy at PTR reported reduced PTSD, depression, and/or anxiety. After receiving care from PTR, one survivor of torture said: “Before I had therapy my soul and my life was in a place where I couldn’t see anything. Now my soul is in a place that I can see and do anything. I found the person I was always supposed to be.”

PTR envisions a world in which mental health and freedom from violence are policy and program priorities. Until this becomes a reality, PTR is the safety net to help trauma survivors seeking asylum on our shores recover and thrive.