Children’s Accelerated Trauma Therapy
CRESS supports 7 local counsellors from within the South Sudanese refugee communities, who are trained with the Children’s Accelerated Trauma Therapy (CATT) protocol. These skills are now being embedded within their communities to provide therapy to their children and young people, for whom there is no mental health provision in Uganda. CRESS worked in conjunction with the CATT License holder, Action for Child Trauma International (ACTI), to deliver this training.
The team also deliver community awareness Emotional Health Programme on PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) for adults and CATT with very good attendance.
Locations of CATT Counsellors
(in light text) and drive times
CATT STORIES
Counsellors
CRESS supports 7 local CATT counsellors. They travel around their local area on bicycle to work with children who face unimaginable challenges and often need special support to process and overcome their traumatic experiences. Through our Student Sponsorship Programme, CRESS also offers counselling to address students’ mental & emotional wellbeing, so that they can learn coping skills in a safe & supportive environment that fosters emotional resilience & academic success. Our counsellors also work with adults in PTSD Awareness workshops.
CATT counsellors (left to right): Murye Emmanuel, Aziku Augustus, Kenyi Alex & Rev. Lomena Alfred
Children’s Accelerated Trauma Therapy (CATT) counsellors conduct teaching sessions on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in adults. The sessions are designed to raise awareness, enhance understanding, and build coping capacity among adult community members affected by war-related, domestic, and displacement-related trauma.
Following the training, the participants demonstrate improved understanding of PTSD symptoms and effects. They felt seen, heard, and understood without shame, and they gained confidence to seek help. They reported reduced stigma, particularly among men who had previously denied their traumatic experiences. The participants showed increased willingness to seek counselling and support in group sessions. Church leaders also felt called to incorporate trauma awareness into their ministries.
‘’Before this special therapy that involves a unique play as I narrate my story, I used to have a distressing thoughts that continuously pop into my mind even if I am reading or attending lessons and most time. I used to isolate myself from other pupils but as the sessions went on, I realized all those bad thoughts are no more. I am happy that I can read, attend lessons without the previous experiences and made more friends with whom we discuss together. So, I am hoping for a better result at the end of this term. I pray that this support continues for the rest of other pupils’’ – Testimony from student **
**names of participants are not included to protect their privacy.
