FOREWORD: The RCT Manual for the Rehabilitation of Torture and Organised Violence Survivors is addressed to health workers, particularly those who have no professional training and work in countries with limited resources. It constitutes a valuable tool and guide in the therapy not only for victims of Torture and Organised Violence, but also those of other psychosocial traumas as well. It represents more than two decades of the RCT’s professional experiences, centred on torture survivors and refugees, and is also the result of active and open exchange via workshops and the RCT’s joint, interactive work in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

This manual has been developed by the RCT professional and technical team under the direction of Professor Bengt Sjölund for use by personnel who are not professionally trained in therapy, especially in countries with limited resources. It has an interdisciplinary and integrated approach and contains physical, physiological, pharmacological, psychological, social, psychiatric and therapeutic aspects, not only from an academic outlook, but also taking into account complementary or alternative medicine and respect for cultural, religious and spiritual aspects.

We believe that it can be profitably read and studied individually and collectively in communities by promoters and health multipliers. It constitutes a source of experience and knowledge for both students and teachers of nursing, medicine, physiotherapy and psychology programs, as well as social workers and health promoters. The manual offers the possibility of being continuously enriched through validating what the manual shows by work and interaction between the RCT and specialized centres, and the work in communities and fraternal centres themselves.

Our congratulations to Professor Bengt Sjölund and the collaborative team who made the development of this manual possible.
Juan Almendares MD
CPTRT Executive Director
Honduras