ATLANTA — The Center for Victims of Torture™ (CVT) today issued a message of reassurance and solidarity from its Georgia healing center, as Georgians grapple with COVID-19.

At the Center for Victims of Torture in Georgia, we recognize that these are challenging times, as a new virus has forced us to change virtually everything about the way we live our lives. We also recognize that—no matter who we are, where we live or where we come from—we are all in this together, and CVT stands ready to help.

Our first priority is, and always has been, the well-being of our clients—refugees and asylum-seekers who have survived torture and war trauma. Although our Clarkston office is closed to in-person services during the COVID-19 outbreak, we are working hard to provide the same kind of quality care and counseling to our clients via telehealth. We’ve put new systems in place that allow us to engage with our clients by phone, video-conference and other means. We are doing regular check-ins and continuing therapy without interruption. During this crisis, we remain dedicated to walking alongside each one of our clients, helping them to heal and meet the new challenges each day brings.

We are also working together with partners to identify the unique needs of our clients and our diverse community and lift them up to state and local policy-makers. We are learning more each day and making changes as the situation evolves. 

As always, we welcome your thoughts and suggestions. Here’s how you can reach us:

• If you or someone you know is in need of CVT’s services, please call us at 470-545-2776.
• If you are a volunteer or donor interested in supporting our work, please contact Darlene Lynch at [email protected].

While this virus continues to push us physically apart, it also reminds us all of our common humanity. We’ll get through this together. Wishing you peace and good health.

— Adaobi Iheduru, Psy.D., LP, clinic manager and psychologist, CVT Georgia

— Darlene Lynch, Esq., head of external relations, CVT Georgia

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The Center for Victims of Torture is a nonprofit organization headquartered in St. Paul, MN, with offices in Atlanta, GA, and Washington, D.C.; and healing initiatives in Africa and the Middle East. Visit www.cvt.org.