Center for Victims of Torture

When Roseline (not her real name) arrived in Minnesota, she was so depressed and frightened that she was unable to leave her house. During her first appointment at CVT, Roseline sobbed uncontrollably. In follow-up meetings, she continued to be guarded, depressed and disengaged from people. She could barely speak.

While she was now safe in the U.S., the torture she endured after attending a political rally and supporting an opposition candidate in her home country in West Africa continued to haunt her.

“As with many of our clients, her despair, hopelessness and fear were palpable,” recalled CVT psychologist, Dr. Jean Choe.

But when Roseline joined the women’s counseling group, she began to make friends and trust others. She completed her GED certificate and participated in other educational opportunities in the community.

She began volunteering in a hospital that eventually hired her. “She regained her self-confidence and self-worth. She shared with us how she now has hope for the future,” observed Jean. “She began to brighten and come alive before our eyes.”

Roseline is now enrolled in college and has meaningful relationships with others. Her example inspires other women survivors. “She offers a lot of hope and resilience to other survivors and people she encounters,” said Jean.

There are more than 30,000 torture survivors like Roseline living in Minnesota. Although the beatings, rapes and mock executions have ended, the emotional scars remain. These men and women continue to endure severe depression, nightmares, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder and the loss of identity and income. Many of our clients are also adjusting to a new community alone because their spouses and children are still in their home country.

At CVT, we restore hope and rebuild lives. In St. Paul, men and women receive care from our doctors, psychologists and social workers as they move towards more peaceful and rewarding lives.

In our international projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jordan and Kenya we provide individual and group counseling, educate communities on the devastating effects of torture and train local professionals as mental health paraprofessionals.

The ultimate goal, of course, is to end the practice of torture worldwide. As a rehabilitation center, we advocate for the protection of human rights. We have raised the topic of torture in the Minnesota legislature, in the U.S. Congress and in international bodies such as the UN by lobbying for the needs of our clients and of all torture survivors.

In Minnesota and around the world, CVT is restoring the dignity of the human spirit. As one survivor said, CVT's job is to "put the soul back in the body."