When a disaster strikes a developing country, little can be done in terms of psychological help due to a number of factors such as too much bureaucracy, financing, insufficient number of trained professionals and the amount of time it takes to train the professionals.

After the August and November 1999 earthquake disasters in Turkey, the Psychological Aid and Training Project was carried out serving as a model for developing countries. The business world and foreign countries have provided financial support for the project. 90 colleagues and students participated in Training for Early Intervention for Trauma through the joint efforts of the Turkish Psychologists Association (TPA), private counselling centers, NGOs and the Israeli Government. A “Trauma Training Team” was formed which revised and condensed this basic training and provided for around 550 volunteers by the end of October, 1999. A “Disaster Preparedness and Intervention Program” was developed by the Trauma Training Team aimed to prepare the school system, business organizations, government offices and NGOs for disasters and traumatic events and it was awarded at the 1st Istanbul Assembly of Children as a “Project to be Supported”. Until December 1999, TPA gave psychological services at 97 “tent cities”, factories and offices to thousands of people affected by the earthquake.

EMDR Institute-HAP trainers came to Istanbul and provided the EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) training which is known to be working faster with trauma related problems. The teams coming from all over Europe and USA trained 210 mental health professionals by May 2003. The training involved 4 full days and continuous supervision. These professionals working at the earthquake sites, schools, hospitals and municipalities gave individual trauma therapy to thousands of people.

An EMDR outcome study which has been conducted at the sites indicated that the intervention methods utilized in the earthquake area has positive consequences.

A Trauma Library which will hold the resources that can be helpful for our colleagues working on trauma has been set up. Considering the disaster that awaits Istanbul, the experts and specialists who will deal with trauma have to be trained. Thus the establishment of a Trauma Center which will provide psychological services and coordinate the efforts in alleviating the negative effects of disasters is essential