Roswell Doctor Helps Syrian Refugees Cope With Trauma

ROSWELL, GA -- The ongoing Syrian refugee crisis has left millions of people homeless, bereft and frightened for the future, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Such experiences traumatize not only the immigrants, but relief workers assisting them. Richmont Graduate University, a Chattanooga- and Atlanta-based university specializing in training professional counselors and ministers, has sent a team of trauma therapists to respond to the needs of Syrian refugees and relief volunteers in camps in Greece and Turkey.

Dr. Vanessa Snyder of Roswell, dean of clinical affairs at Richmont, and Dr. Lorrie Slater of Chattanooga, Tenn., assistant dean of students, are leading the team of six comprised of Richmont-trained trauma therapists and students.

Paramount in their mission is the training of humanitarian workers in compassion fatigue, stress management, and trauma symptoms at the detention camp in Lesbos, Greece.

“The first thing I noticed was the proximity of tents and the number of people; between 2,300 and 4,000 people living in a four- to six-block space,” Dr. Snyder said. “The second thing I noticed was the average age of the volunteers — 25 years old — with responsibilities that are unimaginable.”

Richmont’s trauma specialists are working in partnership with Conscience International, an organization connecting refugees with resources on the island of Lesbos. The team will be working in camps in Greece and Turkey July 17-26.

Richmont Graduate University is a Christian-based education and research institution committed to equipping graduates to function at the highest levels of clinical counseling and professional ministry. Visit its website for more information.

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Photo: Dr. Vanessa Snyder. Credit: Richmont Graduate University