This ORR-Survivor of Torture Virtual Town Meeting was held on July 22, 2026. ORR is allowing the VTM to be shared with a wider audience to assist others in the field.

Session Description

Sleep disturbance and chronic pain are common and often debilitating among survivors of torture, highlighting the need for evidence-informed interventions that can be integrated into trauma rehabilitation services. This presentation will introduce a massage therapy and somatic education intervention designed for survivors that treats sleep disturbance and chronic pain. Presenters will share findings from a randomized controlled trial evaluating the intervention, describe its core components, and highlight trauma-informed strategies for adapting massage therapy for survivors of torture. The session will include a case study illustrating the intervention in practice, as well as practical self-massage techniques that providers can integrate into their work immediately. Participants will leave with concrete strategies and a deeper understanding of how trauma-informed massage therapy and somatic education can support survivors’ wellbeing.
 

Learning Objectives

After attending this training, participants will be able to:

• Identify the key health outcomes from a study of massage and somatic education intervention for survivors with chronic pain.
• Describe the core components of a massage therapy and somatic education intervention designed for survivors of torture.
• Identify trauma-informed strategies they can use to support safety, choice, communication, and collaboration in body-based care.
• Apply selected self-massage techniques and practice-based insights from the randomized controlled trial and case study to their own work with clients.