ITRE Works Where It Is Most Needed

In August 2007, an earthquake hit Peru. A big part of the southern cities of Lima suffered a lot, and people lost their relatives, homes and the work of their lifetime. We saw on television how they survived living in tents with no water, extreme heat during the days and cold weather at nights.

Many organizations, the Peruvian government, and people from all around the country organized help sending food, water, tents and clothes. The basic needs of the affected people were partially relieved, but after a few months we understood that there were emotional and psychological needs and issues that required attention.

As a part of our social responsibility, ITRE (Instituto de Terapia Racional Emotiva) started to organize a campaign among our associates, students, teachers and volunteers.  Our goal was to bring emotional support to a part of the population in southern Lima that needed it most.  Around 30 members agreed to our invitation and we went to Chincha, a very poor town that had been severely affected by the earthquake.

We approached two different communities to help the young and adult populations. Thinking about their own children, some teachers came with us to take care of the children as we had group and individual psychotherapy and counseling sessions with the adolescents and adults.

It was a very enriching experience for ITRE and for the people we assisted, it was their first psychotherapy experience.  We reached almost 250 people and shared our REBT tools with them.  We found out that their principal issues were very different from what we had expected.  We thought that the fear, pain, anger and anxiety around the earthquake would be the predominant emotions, but we found that they had so many personal things to worry about apart from the disaster.  They brought their personal problems to the session, and through active listening and empathy, developing confidence and caring for each one of their situations, each session was a unique psychotherapeutic jewel.

All the therapists involved in these two full days of giving ended up receiving love, gratitude and magnificent examples of the true fight for life.

ITRE