It’s 9:00 a.m. in Ramallah, and the mobile clinic is ready to hit the road. The driver has already checked road conditions, but in our country, everything can change in a heartbeat. Our destination today is Beita, a town about 50 minutes away. The roads have recently changed, and we’ve had to find new ways to reach our communities.
Inside the clinic, the psychologists prepare
for the day ahead. They chat quietly about the cases they’ll be following up
on, exchanging notes and offering one another support. Working in these areas
is never easy. Road closures, sudden military checkpoints, and even settler
attacks are a part of daily life. Just today, while we were in Beita, a herd of
settlers stormed the town, firing shots into the air. People scattered in fear,
and for a moment, everything stopped.
Despite the chaos, we continued our work.
Tasneem, one of our psychologists, met with K.K., a woman she has been
supporting for ten sessions now. K.K. greeted us with a warm smile, a sight
that was unthinkable just weeks ago. After her session, she spoke to the team
and said, “She guided me and supported me when I needed her the most.”
K.K. shared how, in her first session, she
felt lost and broken—unable to speak or trust anyone. But slowly, with
Tasneem’s help, she began to open up. “She made me feel safe. I used to be
scared of my own voice, but now I wait for the day I get to talk to her.” Her
message to others was simple: “There’s no shame in asking for help. If you need
support, call for it.”
Stories like K.K.’s reminds us why we do this
work. But they also remind us of the emotional toll it takes. Each psychologist
listens to several stories a day—stories full of pain, loss, and fear. And
while they offer strength to others, they must also protect themselves from
burnout, always walking a fine line between compassion and self-care.
By late afternoon, the team finishes their
sessions and returns to the mobile clinic. Everyone looks tired but determined.
The driver checks the roads one last time to ensure it’s safe to head back to
Ramallah. Once at the office, each psychologist sits down to document their
sessions, carrying the weight of the day with them but also the quiet
satisfaction of knowing they made a difference—if only for one person, one
story, one life.
