Corrective Political Experiences: Psychological Impacts of Public Testimony for Survivors of Torture

Finding a path to recovering voice and confidence is important for healing from torture-related trauma. Participating in testimony may provide one such path. However, there are gaps in our understanding of how giving testimony impacts torture survivors engaging in public testimony in the U.S.-a context that may elicit feelings not only of safety but also of exposure. Accordingly, this study used a grounded theory methodology to develop a circumscribed model of the impact of testimony on survivors' healing, drawing from experiences of 11 adult (7 men, 4 women) survivors. The resulting healing through testimony model illustrates how a survivor's identity interacts with their context in the U.S. to shape how they step up to testimony opportunities, communicate their message, and digest their experiences. In turn, their identity evolves through corrective political (and personal) experiences. Ways in which survivors could be best supported by psychologists before, during, and after testimony are suggested. Public Significance Statement This study describes how some survivors of torture seeking asylum in the U.S. are impacted by giving public testimony about their traumatic experiences. It demonstrates how testimony, while sometimes painful to deliver, may contribute to healing by helping survivors to recover political agency and to feel witnessed as they communicate an important human rights message. Survivors of other forms of trauma may potentially have similar empowering experiences from speaking out in public.