Ramallah – The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD) completed a training course titled “Cognitive Behavioral Interventions Dealing with PTSD and Encouraging Recovery”, in collaboration with Healing Across the Divides. The 3-day course targeted 30 social workers from PWWSD, the Palestinian Counseling Center, the Educational Counselling Department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Psycho-Social Counselling Center for Women – Bethlehem, Birzeit University, Family Defense Society, UNRWA, and the Union of Health Work Committees. Dr. Elizabeth Hembree, a professor from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
The first day of the training focused on trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and cognitive behavioral therapy. In addition to prolonged exposure therapy, and how to provide it to clients, as well as addressing common reactions after trauma.
The second day addressed how to face triggers and regain normal life and activity through systematic desensitization (graduated exposure therapy). It also explained in detail the logic behind graduated exposure and its hierarchy, as well as the safety instructions for these exercises. This was conducted in groups, applying a practical example to practice graduated exposure, followed by a group discussion. The course also delved into how to deal with traumatic memories, and exposure through imagination. Participants were divided into groups again to practice the theoretical basis and practical procedures related to exposure through imagination.
The third and final day talked about how to encourage recovery using the available strengths in combatting fatigue, in addition to the skills and tools to use including breathing, mindful awareness, encouraging rational thinking and positivity, strengthening positive feelings and monitoring daily activity, as well as positive problem-solving strategies.
The participants thanked PWWSD and recommended conducting more of this type of training, for its direct benefit to their work. It is worth noting that the course included theoretical, practical, and counselling intervention techniques.
One participant, Alaa Yaseen said that the training is an important experience for social workers and psychologists, as it enriches their knowledge and skills in dealing with trauma and post-traumatic cases. Another participant, Nabeela Julani added that the course is extremely beneficial, as Palestinian people experience daily trauma, with a significant portion suffering from PTSD, and that this training helped her learn new techniques when dealing with these cases and helping her clients face this disorder. The training linked the theoretical and practical sides of the work by conducting a number of exercises and presenting real-life experiences.
It is worth mentioning that Dr. Elizabeth Hembree will continue this effort by supervising PWWSD’s psychosocial counselling program via Skype in the future.