Refugee Survivors of Torture: Trauma and Treatment

Gorman, W. (2001). Refugee survivors of torture: Trauma and treatment. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 32(5), 443-451.

It is increasingly likely that psychologists may be faced with clients who have been tortured, although the significance of this background can be easily unrecognized or mishandled. With the growing incidence of refugees to the United States escaping from organized violence and human rights violations in many parts of the world, the need for psychological assistance in the recovery from torture is well documented. By integrating principles from trauma theory and multicultural theory with a conceptual analysis of power and liberation theory, the author offers an understanding of both the nature of the damage inflicted by politically based torture and strategies to help overcome that damage.