Community-based Trauma Counseling

UNIFEM Australia Inc., the Australian national committee for UNIFEM, is directing its fund-raising from the 2000 International Women’s Day Breakfasts to a trauma counseling project in East Timor. A number of agencies have undertaken trauma counseling for women. Most of this work has focused on counseling for women. However, the post-referendum violence, as well as much of the state violence against women under Indonesian rule, was directed at damaging the morale of men and the entire society. Thus, the trauma experienced has strong social and gender dimensions. Men, as well as women, and entire communities, have suffered. If the trauma of men and communities is not addressed, the response of male family members, friends and neighbours to the trauma is likely to exacerbate the initial effects of the violence on women. (This may partly account for what is widely perceived as an increase in domestic violence since the referendum.)

Many women facing violence or its after effects consult health workers, particularly local clinic staff and midwives. Thus, these staff often deal with violence against women and the effects of trauma as a part of their routine work. UNIFEM is concerned to ensure that these community resources that are well-placed to deal with the continuing and long-term needs of survivors obtain training, and that the needs of men and of communities are met. Therefore, UNIFEM is supporting the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) in implementing a community-based approach to trauma counseling, based on their experience in Kosovo. This approach first focuses on the social dimension and all members of the community, including the men, and then builds the capacity of community institutions, such as health clinics and midwives, to provide individual counseling on a continuing basis for those who need it.