The impact of trauma on survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence is profound and enduring. Survivors frequently suffer from mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, and post-traumatic stress. Mental health awareness plays a vital role in recovering from trauma.
In the Philippines, mental health services are limited and highly stigmatized. Most interventions are costly, overemphasize clinical mental health, and rely on the availability of specialists, who are extremely limited in number and often not accessible to marginalized communities. Eleison’s Community Mental Health (CMH) programming provides survivors with accessible and culturally sensitive mental health services. It helps them recover from their trauma and supports their resilience and security in a safe and trusted community-based setting.
Our CMH Education (CMHE) program is part of Eleison’s CMH services. Through our CMHE program, we conduct interactive learning sessions to raise mental health awareness and provide practical applications for promoting mental health and wellness. These CMHE sessions directly respond to requests from survivor leaders in the Philippines and community partners in the anti-trafficking movement.
In 2022, Eleison conducted an initial mental health education session for survivor leaders in the Philippines’ Local Survivors Network. The session empowered survivor leaders to identify and cope with their varied emotions, equipping them with knowledge, skills, and strategies to support themselves and others. The session addressed ways to let out pent-up feelings, control reactions to situations, and self-regulation techniques such as breathing exercises. The session was well-received by survivors. A participant shared:
“The presentation was amazing! It was very informative and helpful. The speakers were nice and very interactive. They ensured that we were comfortable with the topics and that it was okay to ask questions.”
Additionally, in 2022, Eleison conducted two-day mental health education sessions for child survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and abuse at a residential shelter in the Philippines. Eleison staff showed participating children how to optimize wellness by caring for all the aspects of their health and equipping them with ways to identify and cope with various emotions. One participant shared:
“It’s my first-time hearing Eleison’s presentation, but this is the best activity I’ve ever heard because it’s all about wellness and the dimensions of health. And I’m proud and thankful because I have learned something new.”
In 2023, Eleison has started the year by conducting a mental health education session for child survivors of online sexual exploitation at another residential shelter in the Philippines. The participants learned how to recognize different emotions and facial expressions, what makes up emotions, how to show their feelings in different situations, and the difference between unhealthy and healthy ways to deal with emotions.
Survivors benefit from safe and supportive relationships and communities where they can heal in their own time. It helps to know they are not alone and that there are people who understand what they are going through, want to help, and will be there for them. Our CMHE program provides survivors with continuous mental health support and equips them with concrete tools to nurture their emotional well-being.
Recovery from human trafficking and gender-based violence is a long journey. If you’d like to learn more about Eleison’s CMHE sessions or if you’re interested in having CMHE activities at your organization, email us at info@eleisonfoundation.org or send us a message here.
