What am I doing here anyway?!

So things have changed slightly from what I have posted at the bottom of the page, here is an update of exactly what I'm doing. On Mondays and Tuesdays I sit in on group therapy sessions at the community mental health day clinic. The people seeking help here have all experienced some form of trauma. Basically, I sit there for three hours and listen to people discuss their issues in Bosnian. Believe me, there is only so much you can pick up by watching body language and facial expressions! After each session, the therapist explains what was discussed. Then we go over any questions I might have. For instance, I am curious why they have women who are still in domestic violence situations in the same group as war veterans. While learning how they handle group therapy is interesting, I think it will provide me with more examples of what not to do!

At Mercy Corps/CRP I have been working (I use that term loosely) on a reintegration process for people who are still waiting to return to the home they were forced from during the war. We have traveled to several collection centers to interview the beneficiaries in order to determine what they need to make their return successful. It has been amazing to see how different people have adapted to life after the war. Some have created a nice little home, while others live in horrible conditions and don't know what they can do to change their situation. My project description originally called for overnight travel, however, someone at DU forgot to include my accommodations in the budget (I know those of you who are affiliated with DU are completely shocked!). Easy to overlook. Needless to say I will be meeting with our director as soon as I get back to Denver. As a result, I am working in the office for a few days to come up with information regarding vicarious trauma and self care for the staff. Apparently they have never received any training in these areas, and I recall this being mentioned once or twice over the course of the year. I think next week I make have to practice some self care of my own and head to Dubrovnik, Sarajevo, and Belgrade.