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Learning from Gaza

Learning from Gaza

Palestine

Overview

The research project, “Learning from Gaza,” seeks to position the Palestine Trauma Centre (UK) [PTC-UK] as a grassroots leader in mental health programming by challenging culturally inappropriate frameworks imposed on vulnerable populations. The study aims to establish knowledge networks that support the organization in achieving its long-term goal of fostering communities competent in psychosocial support best practices, thereby granting agency over Mental Health to those enduring ongoing violence.

PTC(UK)’s Tarkiz program, developed over a decade, draws inspiration from Eugene Gendlin’s theory of “Focusing.” It places emphasis on recognizing personal responses to harm and understanding reactions to them, enabling psychological well-being even in adverse conditions. By externalizing harm and separating it from the individual, Tarkiz empowers individuals to identify the causes of harm and envision their inner lives as separate from grief or violence. The involvement of solidarity communities is crucial in this process, with the ultimate objective of establishing a self and community care system for long-term sustainability.

This is part of a multi-phase and ongoing project :

Learn more

Focusing Programme

Focusing is one of 10 interventions that PTC offers in Gaza. It is based on the therapeutic focusing programme of Eugene Gendlin, an American philosopher who was a psychotherapist with a friendship with the scientist Carl Rogers. The Focusing programme for psychological and social support for an individual or group is based on the principle of a client-centred approach, while the other part of the Focusing programme is based on two principles in psychotherapy: Client-centred and Therapist-centred. This means focusing on a client or a therapist. Over the last 15 years, PTC has developed Focusing (or, Tarkiz in Arabic) so that it addresses the unique needs of our community. The Gaza Focusing Project was developed and tested among Arabic speakers by Palestine Trauma Centre in the UK since 2009 and onwards. It translates and adapts an existing approach, and with R4T we set out to study what makes it successful and why. This was the first phase of our research. We then applied for additional funds to formalize the work, compiling a manual in preparation for a Randomized Control Trial.

Focusing has proved very effective 

*In a published article, Focusing was shown to be more effective than Family therapy and SANID ‘psychosocial support approach’ (Altawil et al, 2018).

*Focusing helped people in Gaza to get to know their feelings and find a new way of moving forward from emotional and traumatic blocks and triggers.

*Focusing does not change the traumatic events and their difficulties but it does help people to change the way they respond towards difficulties and stress.

*Focusing can promote wellness and harness the strengths of the community.

Studying perceived effectiveness 

Results from qualitative analysis of interviews with staff and clients showed that a central reason for the perceived effectiveness of Focusing is because it understands harm as targeting the community, and sees the individual as an agent of repair. It provides culturally appropriate tools and builds community so that individuals are empowered to re-engage and repair the harm being done by generations of colonial violence.

PTC had been working on our Focusing manual, with R4T funding, so we could undertake a Randomized Control Trial, which would make it possible to widely disseminate the approach

 

Since 7 Oct our centre has been badly damaged, our staff scattered across Gaza, and our client community further traumatised. Work on the manual has ceased, though Focusing work continues.

Homes Destroyed
Dr Said Al Kahlout Head of the e-education unit In PTC (Gaza)
Dr Yehia Awad External Assessor in PTC (Gaza) - Dr Yehia’s house, his extended family’s house and entire neighbourhood (Next to Al-Shifa Hospital) was destroyed
Firas is a professional clown for Days of Joy in PTC (Gaza) - Firas Miqdad works as a clown in the Days of Joy team, his house and entire neighbourhood (Beach Refugee Camp) was destroyed
Eman Mater was a psychologist and one of PTC (UK)’s most valued members. Here she is working with Downs Syndrome children, manning the emergency phone line during the Covid crisis and showing David Harrold the ruins of her parents’ home in 2015. She was killed with her daughter in her home.
Fedaa Al-leddawi Storyteller for Days of Joy in PTC (Gaza) - Fidda is now in a hospital in Cairo. His home was destroyed, killing his wife and two children
Mahmoud Al-Hasanat, Clown for Days of Joy - Mahmoud is a valued member of Days of Joy. He has been severely injured in a bomb blast and is in intensive care.
The family of PTC founder Mohamed Altawil - “The houses of my cousins along with the head of the Altawil family. My wife’s aunts, and her aunts’ children, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, and their grandchildren, whole families were all in one building block. More than 30 from the family and 100 people in one go.”

What does Mental Health support look like now?

Hotline Services to support children and their families; distributing food, water, blankets and cleaning items.

Some programmes also continue:

  • Days of Joy are run for children and families when safe (most possible)
  • Limited focusing sessions are also being run

What's Next?

Our office is closed, but our staff continue working as they are able. We have made use of the Focusing manual, in its digital form, to run some programs, but we are also aware that the landscape of mental health has changed fundamentally before formalizing our manual, therefore, we will have to go back to study, to take stock of where we are, and determine best practices and then go back, when the time is appropriate, to the preparation of material for a Randomized Control Trial.

In the meantime, we continue to work with Rights for Time to gather information to understand mental health needs and the possibilities of provision today, and in the days to come.

– Dr Mohammed Altawil, Founder PTC

Our Partners

Meet our amazing partners behind the Rights For Time.