Ramallah – The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD) held a training course on psychological trauma, as part of the “Children Friendly Mobile Units” project, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and in partnership with COSPE. The training took place over a 3-day period at the Palestine Plaza Hotel in Ramallah. 20 Palestinian police officers from the Family Protection Unit participated in the course.
The training addressed a wide range of concepts and techniques including, but not limited to, resilience and trauma; resourcing techniques; critique of PTSD; neuropsychology of stress, anxiety and trauma; early assessment of survivors in the aftermath of a traumatic event; principles of crisis intervention with individuals; intervention techniques: EMDR, PE, SE.
The course implemented practical applications through role play, breathing techniques, and relaxation exercises that help get rid of daily stressors and work pressures. The daily program emphasized the need for the Family Protection Unit officers to implement these techniques on a personal level and with the beneficiaries of their services.
The participants expressed their gratitude and appreciation of PWWSD and highlighted their need of further similar training courses. Participants also noted that the course included both theoretical and practical methods of addressing sensitive topics, as well as implementing a number of practical skills in their field.
On its part, PWWSD pointed out the importance of collaboration among governmental institutions and organizations working in the field of psycho-social support, as it has shown evident impact on developing the skills of professionals in those fields and has constantly contributed to providing psychological services on a more efficient and ongoing level.