About the Center

Our Mission

The Center for Survivors of Torture and War Trauma (CSTWT) is a 501(c)3 non-profit committed to facilitating the healing process for refugee and immigrant survivors of torture and war trauma by providing culturally appropriate, holistic mental health services.

The Center's philosophy is that issues and symptoms of trauma experienced by the clients we serve make adaptation to life in this new culture even more difficult than it would be ordinarily.

The Center for Survivors of Torture and War Trauma helps individuals and groups learn to manage the symptoms of trauma so that they can make better adjustments to their new life, engage in productive employment, and relate appropriately with family and others. As a result, they are healthier personally and are able to make meaningful contributions to society.

The Center belongs to a network of agencies called Care Access to New Americans, whose purpose is to provide a holistic inter-referral system for those who are suffering debilitating effects of PTSD.

Our History

The Center began in the early 1990s when therapists were seeing an increase in refugees who were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. An informal coalition of service providers was formed in order to address the special needs of those new Americans. In the summer of 2001, CSTWT was incorporated as a nonprofit 501(3)c corporation in Missouri to enable it to initiate projects relative to the needs of its clients with an emphasis on providing appropriate mental health services. Our clients come from Afghanistan, Bosnia, Congo, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Liberia, Vietnam, and other countries that are experiencing unrest.