Heal thyself: Dealing with trauma work - Gaza 2008/2009

Abstract

We report the case of a Palestinian American psychologist trained to work with psychologically traumatized patients, who consulted with one World Health Organization mental health practitioner assisting the people of Gaza during the Israeli invasion of December 2008. We describe the unresolved tension experienced by the consulting provider, between feelings of helplessness and horror associated with the attack and the drive to assist a client, in this case a colleague, a drive that characterizes the helping professions generally, and discuss ways to improve healthcare providers' abilities to deal with trauma work. Our goal is to call attention to one overlooked health effect of the continuing military occupation of the Palestinian territories (oPT), that is, its impact on healthcare providers, by giving voice to these providers, and to elaborate on the limitations of existing categories and theoretical frameworks to conceptualize and address trauma work in the oPT and similar settings. This article is part of a broader project examining the implications of the ongoing military occupation of the Palestinian territories for health inequalities, health services, and public health infrastructure. © The Author(s) 2011.