The power of therapy - Marie's story

When Marie found out about Freedom from Torture, she didn’t believe in therapy. But now she's seen incredible results.

Marie first doubted anything could help her cope with her traumatic experiences in Congo, where she was tortured for helping a friend escape from the NRA. She didn’t want to see anybody. She wanted to be alone. She was sitting in the dark at home. She felt like life had nothing positive to offer.  

Marie referred herself online, pasting her statement from the government. 

I didn’t even have the strength to write. So I said OK, try this. If this doesn’t work, maybe it’s time for me to die and leave this world.

When Marie met her therapist, she was surprised to feel a connection. “She was treating me like a human, listening to me, trying to address what I’m feeling. She wanted to understand what’s happened to me. I started feeling that there could be a chance of feeling slightly better”. 

Marie started making incredible progress thanks to EMDR, a type of therapy that we provide to survivors and can be effective in treating effects of torture.

“The first session was like a joke. I thought this is not real. It’s like children playing. What is that going to do for me?” At the end of the session, Marie was so exhausted that she fell asleep in her chair. She had no energy for more than two weeks afterwards. That’s when she understood that therapy was working, that it was real. In that moment, she promised herself to give it a try and believe it could genuinely help her.  

Marie is so grateful to supporters for funding her therapy sessions. 

If someone has been tortured, that person might be breathing, but they are already half dead. Therapy has brought me back hope.

Marie said, "Without hope, there’s no motivation to live. There are a lot of things I couldn’t do anymore, like my make-up. I used to wear make-up every single day going to work. You forget even the simple little things".

Now, Marie is feeling more like herself again. She is talking with her family and friends. She is looking after her health. She found hope and beauty in life again. She even found love for make-up again and is currently studying beauty. She was nominated for an excellence award by her teachers, which shows how far she’s come thanks to therapy.