Citation

Piwowarczyk L. Torture 2005; 15(1): 1-8.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Torture by its very nature creates distress in part related to the intentionality of the trauma inflicted. Consequently, it is necessary for clinicians to address many of the existential concerns that arise in the course of treatment. Often in clinical training, issues of spirituality are deferred to spiritual caregivers. It is important when working with torture survivors to consider the myriad of ways in which the spiritual dimension is interfaced with. For some, efforts to address physical and emotional symptoms may fall short of that which is necessary for full recovery. Torture affects individuals on multiple domains simultaneously. Many survivors speak about the damage that has been inflicted to their souls. Furthermore, survivors may come from cultures where religion is a way of life and cannot be separated from one's daily life experiences. Helping people connect to communities of faith can be critical to not only decreasing the isolation that survivors may have, but also potentially helping in the process of restoring one's capacity to trust again. As clinicians, our own life views can impact on the work we do. It becomes important to take a personal inventory as to how we ourselves answer the question why such cruelty exists.


key words: torture, trauma, spirituality

Language: en