Since 2010, Gabriele Marini has served clients with CVT Uganda and built capacity of partner organizations, beginning as a psychotherapist/trainer and currently working as field representative for the team’s work in the northern part of the country. In those years, the focus for CVT Uganda has expanded from a decade of mental health healing of survivors of the LRA war to transitional justice. CVT added new activities for strengthening civil society organizations (CSOs), with initiatives to advance justice for survivors and help reconcile divided communities. Gabriele is leading a team of talented clinicians and administration professionals. He spoke about his work with Grace Ogihara, senior graphic designer, during a recent visit in Gulu.

CVT Uganda’s Work Changing over the Years

When CVT Uganda began operations in 2009, Gabriele was the first staff person based in Gulu, where he started the program working with partners conducting training and co-therapy, followed by the opening of a long-running program providing direct care to survivors in the region. Today the mental health clinical focus is pursued and integrated in transitional justice work to strengthen and facilitate northern Uganda’s transition to durable, positive peace.

As a psychotherapist, Gabriele noted that while he does less direct psychotherapy work with clients today, he brings his expertise and extensive experience in the community to the transitional justice work. “CVT Uganda at the beginning had only one staff: me,” Gabriele said. “I was working alone in this field and then we started with a small number, with four and then five.”

CVT Uganda at the beginning had only one staff: me.”

Gabriele Marini, field representative, CVT Uganda

The program grew over the years and the team extended care to thousands of survivors. In early 2022, CVT pursued an opportunity to engage in transitional justice work, which would allow clients to work toward justice and peace through initiatives developed with trauma-informed practices. “Before, the dynamic was a bit more simple,” Gabriele said. “Someone in pain was enough in pain to look for psychological services.”

He explained that now, however, the transitional justice work is designed to work toward change, sometimes connecting to decisions at the Uganda parliament, so the team interacts with government officials along with representatives of victims and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).  His role has shifted, he said, to have an impact in the community through advocacy for survivors and how “the society can organize better to support vulnerable members.” Gabriele noted that this is critical. Advocacy “is an important aspect; it’s more political,” he said. “And it’s different from what we were doing before. For many people who don’t have experience of psychological pain, this social level engagement can be seen as, maybe, more important, more valid.”

And it’s different from what we were doing before. For many people who don’t have experience of psychological pain, this social level engagement can be seen as, maybe, more important, more valid.”

Gabriele Marini

The Role of the Psychotherapist in Transitional Justice Efforts

Gabriele’s role as a psychotherapist is always with him, however, and he brings that lens to his work. He appreciates what it takes for people to seek help, seeing his role as a privilege to meet people during a painful time for them when, “they are trying to come out or react to this pain.” As a clinician, he is very respectful of these situations. A client is “giving himself a chance to feel better. He’s attempting something,” he said. “It’s conducive for me.”

Gabriele said it’s helpful to understand the psychology behind survivors’ decisions to take steps to bring change to social systems. Part of this is being able to build the trust that is needed for survivors to take these sometimes difficult steps of exposure to the “world outside.”

“In certain moments of pain, people put down their social mask,” Gabriele said, and “see aspects of themselves, aspects of their experience that socially may not be allowed to be matched.” For example, a man and father may feel he needs to appear a certain way, to appear strong and sure of every decision.

“But in the clinical sessions, people can give space and words, representation to other parts of themselves,” he said. This trust can help facilitate decisions to stand up for justice or change.

Looking to the Future of Uganda

Reflecting on the transition from mental health care to transitional justice programming, Gabriele said he appreciates that an individual survivor has the chance to determine what actions are best for himself. “It’s important how he can better fit with himself, with his life,” he said.

“An organization that fights for justice wants the message of the survivors to be impactful so we can have an impact in the society,” Gabriele said, and this will allow more to benefit within the community. “For instance, people may discover how this group is neglected.”

An organization that fights for justice wants the message of the survivors to be impactful so we can have an impact in the society.” 

Gabriele Marini

Gabriele said that, as a psychotherapist, he looks not only at the impact of the change promoted to the society (the world) but also on the value, the empowerment of the process taken for that specific individual in his moment of life. He looks at how an advocacy action such as sharing a message represents “a positive change for the person who’s doing it. So how this choice is a development, an empowering opportunity for this person (the individual).”

He said it’s important to honor the client’s interest in justice, which is entirely up to the client, not the therapist. “I feel that having this perspective is important,” he said. “What is good for me, what is fit for me, may not be what is fit for you or for another.”

CVT’s program in and around Gulu, Uganda, is supported by Fondation d’Harcourt.