Interns Reflect on their Experience

Eugene Booysen: (B. Psych. UWC)
The first month was challenging due to having to adapt from a University environment to one of work. Personally this process was educational and contributed to my personal growth. A significant object at the TC for me, was the tree in the middle of the courtyard. Just as the tree is going through seasonal changes, so did I; gradually achieving my goals and finding my true self.

In conclusion, my journey at the Trauma Centre awakened my potential and abilities. Carl Jung highlighted that one’s vision would only become clear when one looks within oneself. Those who look outside, dream; but those who look within, awaken.


Trevor Tshabalala (Final year B. Psych at UWC – intern for 3 months):
Working at the TC has been a very insight-gaining experience in counselling. You are never just treating the trauma – trauma is almost like a mask for other unresolved issues which enables the person to seek help.
It has also broadened my scope of knowledge about trauma and how it is related to other mental disorders like depression and anxiety, from which so many people in our communities suffer, but are left untreated. It has been an amazing journey so far, working with a group of committed, supportive and knowledgeable trauma counsellors.

Luleka Soko (Qualified nurse and final year B. Psych at UWC)

I personally gained my confidence at the Trauma Centre because I started to practise all the theory that I gained from University. The correlation between learning and practice became real e.g. learning about xenophobia and then experiencing how the Trauma Centre responds to foreigners. The historical background of the organisation is in itself, indicative of unity amongst our communities. The different programs attempt to build up new, psychologically healthy communities. In addition, the vision of bringing free services closer to people shows that Trauma Centre staff care. I also think that trauma work is the key - for people who have suffered from other mental illnesses, traumatic events often trigger the underlying distress e.g. depression.

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Training for Trauma Rooms

Trauma Centre Staff together with practitioners from Rape Crisis and Nicro recently developed a standardised basic training for new Victim Support Volunteers who work in Trauma Rooms at police stations across the Western Cape. This training is now being rolled out sponsored by Business Against Crime and the Department of Community Safety. So far the Trauma Centre has completed two of these 3-day trainings for volunteers coming from different police stations. These volunteers are mostly women with families and busy lives and yet they give up evenings and weekends to be in the frontline of support for victim/survivors.
Miriam Fredericks, who did the second training, wrote: The participants were amazing - people with such compassion and so dedicated. I was humbled by their strength and honoured to be in their presence.


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Editorial

The focus of the Trauma Centre's work is changing. We have always combined therapeutic with preventive work, partnerships and advocacy. We started in 1993 with addressing the needs of victims of political violence and torture, but by the year 2000, a much larger proportion of our clients were the victims of crime.

2008 was a watershed year for us and for the country. The crisis in Zimbabwe (which meant that many refugees crossed our borders), and the lack of service delivery in our country, led to outbreaks of xenophobic violence in cities and towns. It has led us and many others to try to think more strategically about where to focus our attention. For over a decade the Children and Violence Project has worked to prevent violence in schools, tackling the problem holistically school by school.

Many groups and organisations (e.g. Action for a Safe South Africa) are now trying to think about the root causes of violence in our country as well as strengthening the criminal justice system. Those of us who work in the field of mental health, have a contribution to make because of our understanding of the mechanisms of trans-generational transmission of trauma(International Handbook of Multi-generational Legacies of Trauma edited by Yael Danieli. Plenum Press. New York.1998) and how these intersect within families to produce insecure attachments in the next generation, resulting in aggressive and violent behaviour.(Felicity de Zulueta's "From Pain to Violence: The Traumatic Roots of Destructiveness". Whurr Publishers. London. 1993). The Political Violence Program in their work with the second generation, and the new Gugulethu Project which aims to empower and psychoeducate parents and pre-school children are the pilot projects in which we hope to be able to address these issues. Read More or Comment

Opening of Lauraine Vivian Exhibition

An exhibition of artwork by Lauraine Vivian called The Gift Returned opened at the Cape Gallery on July 26th 2009. She is an ex-client of the Trauma Centre, and she produced these computer-generated graphics while undergoing EMDR therapy with Margaret Green, a staff member working in Trauma Response. In opening the exhibition, Margaret talked about the traumatic impact of the threat of violence - something the artist had experienced when she received a death threat while director of a community-based health project.

Lauraine Vivian (right) with Margaret Green.

Short talk by Margaret Green "Healing from Violence and Threatened Violence".



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