Introduction
Trauma and trauma-based disorders and diseases pose a massive global burden in human, economic, social and security terms. Perhaps as many as 500 million people worldwide suffer from PTSD. Exposure to traumatic events and circumstances is growing each year. Consider the plight of refugees, IDPs and the service providers helping them; or of survivors of sexual violence and torture; or of former combatants, including former child soldiers and war veterans; or of survivors of natural disasters, crime, abuse and accidents. What these disparate populations have in common is that they all suffer from invisible wounds, which lead to their lives being severely impaired—as well as the lives of their families and their communities.
Yet, in much of the world trauma remains unrecognized, undiagnosed and therefore untreated. General pessimism about the availability of a suitable, affordable, recognized and scalable treatment modality has led to very low budgets begin allocated for trauma treatment (and mental health altogether). This largely explains why hitherto the worldwide response has been minimal.
At the same time, the more science learns about trauma, the more pressing the need becomes to address the impact on those who are directly and indirectly affected.
The existence of effective treatments nowadays makes it possible.
To overcome the structural shortage of professional therapist, trainers and advocates, the need is to build greater capacity of conventional and innovative human resources.
GIST-T aims to foster the development, promotion and application of evidence-based therapies to help manage and treat trauma and trauma-based conditions, and to make them accessible to vulnerable populations worldwide.
GIST-T’s focus is on raising awareness, facilitating training for professional and paraprofessional personnel, promoting the scale-up of trauma care services, supporting research, and driving partnerships for long-term impact. See the dropdowns below for a breakdown of our key objectives and activities:
Raising Awareness
• Engage humanitarian and protection agencies dealing with violent conflicts and natural disasters in a listening exercise to better understand how trauma is dealt with among their personnel and the vulnerable communities they serve
• Make advocacy presentations and give orientation sessions to selected organizations and other stakeholders
Furthering Research
• Foster the production, review and dissemination of relevant research on promising approaches that will help bridge the gap between need/demand for trauma treatment services and supply of mental health professionals
• Organize international meetings to present and discuss evidence-based research on the use of paraprofessionals and simplified protocols
Facilitating Training
Support the piloting of innovative training approaches to expand the number of skilled paraprofessionals and volunteers, using simplified protocols
Promoting the Scaling-up of Services
• Advocate for increased stress and trauma care, and for psychological support services for selected target populations
• Advocate for increased resource allocation for training, e-learning, peer-to-peer support programmes, and stress and trauma care
Supporting Increased Use of Services
• Engage key stakeholders in social mobilization and in the lowering of barriers associated with stigma, time costs and affordability
Fundraising, Partnering, Contracting for Sustainability
• Raise funds necessary (i) to implement projects, (ii) to subsidize certain training activities, (iii) for operations and activities aimed at increasing the profile for the need for trauma care and treatment, and (iv) for GIST-T to continue operations with a sustainable business model
Scaling Trauma Relief with a Multi-Phase Model
GIST-T’s approach is structured, replicable, and adaptable to different crisis contexts.
We implement trauma care systems through six strategic phases:
Phase 1: Rapid Needs Assessment & Deployment
A clinical team conducts assessments of trauma exposure, resource availability, and cultural factors to map out a tailored intervention strategy.
Phase 2: Community Partnership & Recruitment
We collaborate with authorities, healthcare systems, and grassroots organizations to select a cohort of local professionals for training.
Phase 3: Trauma Care Training
We deliver culturally informed modules in Traumatic Stress Relief (TSR), TF-CBT, EMDR techniques, and Psychological First Aid, using a train-the-trainer methodology.
Phase 4: Supervision & Clinical Guidance
We provide structured follow-up through regular supervision, case reviews, and site visits to ensure fidelity and effectiveness.
Phase 5: Accreditation & Knowledge Transfer
Certified trainees become trainers themselves, embedding local capacity. We collaborate with academic institutions to formalize recognition.
Phase 6: Integration & Aftercare
Trauma care becomes part of the community’s health, education, and safety systems. GIST-T continues to provide updates, refreshers, and advanced modules.
GIST-T is for those who want to build Local Mental Health Capacity
GIST-T works alongside communities to train local professionals and build trauma recovery systems in areas affected by conflict or crisis. We focus on psychological trauma, emphasizing sustainable, ethical, and culturally sensitive care that empowers communities from within. Guided by compassion and a commitment to local ownership, we help communities take charge of their own healing journeys.
01
National Governments
National governments needing sustainable public health interventions
02
Humanitarians
Humanitarian actors working in mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS)
03
Clinics & Hospitals
Clinics and hospitals seeking trauma integration into general services
04
Academic Institutions
Academic institutions looking to co-develop trauma education
05
Corporates
Corporate CSR programs focused on global health equity
Read more about our model and methods in action with cases from Sri Lanka, London, and the Yezidi People.