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even long afterwards, there may be a realistic fear that they will be seen as weak and inadequate for
redeployment or promotion. Consequently they can often disconnect from their feelings and help
perpetuate the “be-tough culture” that permeates the humanitarian sector.
4. Cultivate resilience in five areas: character strengths such as perseverance and integrity; coping
skills for stress management, self-care, work-life balance, and interpersonal relationships; mutual
support for colleagues, friends and family; staff support and wellbeing resources in one’s organization;
and a transcendent sense of purpose, meaning, and hope.

5. Stay aware, get help, and grow. Humanitarians are not unbreakable and it is important to remind
them: “Don’t overestimate your immunity; but don’t underestimate your resilience. Stay in touch
with the stressors in your life and their cumulative and possible delayed impacts. If you get stuck
from stress s or trauma, get help. find safe places, safe people, and ways to help you grow through the
challenges of humanitarian life—and beyond.”

There are effective treatments for trauma, including the two therapies that the WHO has approved
as evidence-based: EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and TF-CBT, (trauma-
focused cognitive behavioral therapy). Although the availability of these therapies has grown substan-
tially in recent decades, not all humanitarian workers, and especially national/local staff have access to
mental health workers who speak their languages or understand cultural practices that have histori-
cally helped mitigate the impact of trauma.

Final Thoughts

Tools for Helping Ourselves and Others

--Alternatives to violence program (website)

--Anxiety BC. Self-help strategies for PTSD
--Breathing Exercises, Dr. Andrew Weil
--DisasterReady, Cornerstone on Demand Foundation. (free online courses for humanitarian action)
--EMDR International Association: Creating global healing, health and hope.
--Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (self-measure for trauma events and emotional symptoms
--Hidden Hurt. (2015). Self-care following trauma. Hidden Hurt: Domestic Abuse Information

--Johnstone, M. (2012). I Had a Black Dog (short video about depression and recovery)

--Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (self-measure of anxiety and depression)
--Moodjuice. Post-traumatic stress: Moodjuice self-help guide

--Non Violent Communication (website)

--O’Donnell, K. (2010). Team building and resiliency (short course and tools)

--ProQOL 5 (self-measure for the negative/positive affects of helping others who experience suffering and
trauma, available in 26 languages
--PTSD Association of Canada. (2016). Various resources for growth and recovery

--Psychology Tools. (2016). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma and dissociative disorders

--Schwiebert, P and DeKlyen, C. Tear Soup: Recipe for Healing after Loss (2005). (book and DVD, available in
English and Spanish)
--UNITAR. Understanding and Transforming Stress. Wellbeing for Peace Series (free online course)

--U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2015). Self-help and coping. PTSD: National Center for PTSD

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