Irene Santiago

Some paths in life can only be walked collectively. This is one of the main learnings of more than 20 years accompanying people and communities in contexts of violence, armed conflict, migratory movements, and others. I have learn from people have taught me that, that pain hurts less if it’s shared and carry out togheter, that changes and coming back to life is something that is done in community, with the other. The collective gaze enriches, just as the collective mind is more creative and manages to go beyond the individual, but also the collective. We are more than the sum of the parts, we are a system and, as such, there is a collective intelligence that we need to consciously activate and strengthen. As Irving Yalom said, “suport-suport-suport” is a way to walk without leaving anyone behind. It is about the experience of co-constructing, co-weaving, the experience of looking into each other’s eyes and knowing that we are supported by each other.

 

Irene Santiago, MD (Psychologist, Social and Psychotherapist) is a Spanish Transpersonal Therapist and Trainer specializing in the experience of deep wounds/trauma (psychotherapy with EMDR and transpersonal tools). With a development of more that 20 years as a psychologist/psychotherapist in the field humanitarian, accompanying crisis, trauma, and mourning processes, among others. Experience in cooperation, human rights, and humanitarian organizations in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Mexico in psychosocial and psychological care (post-traumatic stress) to: population affected by armed conflicts, relatives of missing persons, migrants, refugee population, population in situation of forced displacement, persons deprived of liberty, persons affected for socio-political violence.