Author: NilsOla Nilsson

During 2015 more than one million refugees have come to Europe. Many of them carrying inner wounds from the wars and conflicts they have fled from in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan. The psychiatric resources are not enough to help. Waiting time is over one year and more in many countries, which is, of course, totally unacceptable.

We have been working with people in Germany, France, Sweden, Norway and Finland who want to help the refugees manage stress (and trauma). To emphasize the “non-specialist” level of self help that is possible for everyone to do we have chosen to present TTT as a simple relaxation exercise instead of the powerful therapeutic tool it can be – with great success. To do so we simply translate the abbreviation TTT :Tension Tapping Technique (instead of Trauma Tapping Technique).

You can also take initiative and support this spreading of stress management for those in need.

PHN held a workshop at the refugee center Grytan outside Östersund in the north of Sweden. Both refugees, volunteers and staff participated.

The inviting organization ”Hej Främling” wrote on Facebook afterwards:

”Thank you all for joining the Trauma Tapping Technique workshop with Gunilla Hamne tonight! Around 70 people came to learn the TTT, – we really packed the room to the limit!

Thank you Studieförbundet Vuxenskolan for helping out, thank you everyone who bought tickets and made it possible for refugees to join and thank you Samira and Qadir for great translation! We are very happy to see how much appreciated this workshop came to be and we really hope that tomorrows session in Östersund will be just as cool!”

Our colleague in neighboring Finland, Martina Lindroos, who is responsible for Red Cross refugee centers has arranged several workshops with TTT. She has put into system that those refugees who have learnt TTT go to other centers and teach it other refugees.

More can be done with your support! Let 2016 be the year when inner peace can be spread to many more. Pass it on. Pay it forward.

Godelieve Mukasarasi, a longstanding colleague in Rwanda with a copy of the first edition of our TTT book – “Resolving Yesterday”.

I just came to Rwanda after some time in Sweden. This is perhaps my tenth time here, I really don´t know.But it is for sure many times. It is such a blessing to be able to come back, it has built  trust in our colleagues and friends here as well as in eastern Congo. I didn´t really understand that in the beginning, but since then I have gotten comments which have made me realize how important the “coming back” is. Like the comment from my colleague Godelieve Mukasarasi the other day.

Godelieve is the president of Sevota an organization we have been collaborating with since 2008. Together with our Rwandese colleagues Robert Ntabwoba, and Murigo Veneranda I have traveled all over the country giving trainings in TTT, Do-In self massage, back massage and games  to the groups of vulnerable women and children which Sevota supports. They are widows, orphans, women subjected to gender based violence and rape, children born from rape, persons living with hiv and more. Godelieve started Sevota right after the genocide 1994 when she saw the need of her wounded people.

Now Godelieve invited me to their 20 years celebration and asked me and Murigo to do a training with 60 young guys born from rape. “They really need the TTT.” she said referring to the stigma and difficulties they live with.

Godelieve presented me from stage to the 300 women and youth in the hall:  “This is Gunilla who many of you know already. She is a faithful friend, she always comes back to give us ways of healing  our mind and body. She doesn´t forget us even when she is in Sweden. ”

Warm  laughters and applauds filled the room, the best kind of reward.

“All of you youths who haven´t learnt the Tapping before, follow Gunilla outdoors and she has promised teach you”, Godelieve shouts over the chatting crowd.

Together with more than 50 of young guys we walked out, Murigo and I.  At the football ground below one of the hills with tightly constructed houses we staged a TTT session while the meeting continued in the hall. The sun came out from behind the clouds that had just released one of those heavy rainy season rainfalls. Some laughing somewhat embarrassed, others seriously applying the tapping step by step.

“This really makes me relaxed!” commented one of the young women. The others nodded – agreeing.

“I will use this! Do you have some material? How can we learn more? We do need this!”

Is there a situation in your community where there is a person like Godelieve, who brings people together and wants to help them, where you can suggest a TTT training? Perhaps you are the one.

TTT session with 50 young men and women living with stigma of being born from rape.