1999- The American team (psychologists) spent 2 weeks in the earthquake area — 1 week in the camps in and around Izmit and Golchuk, and 1 week in several schools in Istanbul and the vicinity.
The team implemented the program and collected data from a total of 556 individuals ranging in age from 5 to 62. The group members were self-selecting, as the team arrived in a camp and generally gathered a group through word of mouth, sometimes going from tent to tent informing them of the group’s existence. In the schools in Istanbul, a schedule was set up for school assemblies, classroom visits, and teacher workshops.
The program is composed of six steps in which various aspects of the traumatic exposure are assessed, identified, explored, and processed. The six steps are: (1) Assessment, (2) Expression of Feelings, (3) Empathy and Validation, (4) Discovery and Expression of Positive Meaning, (5) Information Dissemination, and (6) Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises.
