Watch Sita G. Patel, Ph.D., Speak at the Commonwealth Club of California

 

Sita G. Patel, Ph.D., Palo Alto University associate professor of clinical psychology and board member of Partnerships for Trauma Recovery (PTR), shared her global perspective and research on healing after trauma at the Commonwealth Club of California on November 15th, 2018. A video and podcast of the panel discussion, A Global Perspective on Healing After Trauma: Where Health and Human Rights Meet, is available on the Commonwealth Club site here.

Speaking upon the capacity for victims of trauma to heal, Dr. Patel explains, “I’ve seen that survivors of human rights violations can be very resilient and have the potential for healing over time. For those who escape terrible circumstances and relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area, essential to their adaptation is successfully navigating the complex legal and socioeconomic structure in the US. All points of contact—whether legal, medical, educational—need to be trauma informed and culturally responsive. If provided with the necessary support, refugees have an amazing capacity to overcome immense life obstacles and become contributing members of our local communities.”

Dr. Patel, a faculty member of PAU since 2010, is a clinical and community psychologist with research interests in global mental health and culture and context as they relate to immigrant mental health. Her work uses mixed-methods approaches to study acculturation stress, psychological, social, and academic adjustment, and access to treatment for mental illness among immigrant and minority populations. Dr. Patel leads PAU’s Culture, Community, and Global Mental Health Lab.