Before coming to the United States, Amare* witnessed the brutal murder of his father and brother before his entire village was attacked and reduced to debris. He lost his wife and many friends and family members in the attack. He then lived in a refugee camp for eighteen years before being resettled in Utah. The client came to Utah Health and Human Rights with a resettlement agency representative after attempting suicide. When we first met, he resisted every service and refused to allow his therapist to utilize therapeutic methods to help him. A few weeks of sessions later, he slowly became more receptive to interventions as we were able to establish trust with him and helped him to express the full range of his needs. His therapist taught him different coping skills such as deep breathing and mindfulness activities, which have led to great improvement. He has reported a much-improved mood and enjoys working with his therapist and case manager. He is now attending therapy on a weekly basis, and calls his case manager whenever a need arises within his household. He has incorporated coping skills into his daily life. During a recent case management session he commented on how much he loves to coming to UHHR, how it has been beneficial to him and how he feels safe here.
*All names have been changed and the stories altered to protect our client’s security and privacy.