Justice as a healing factor: Psycho-legal counseling for torture survivors in an Indian context.

Among professionals working with the rehabilitation of torture survivors, discussions are ongoing about the most appropriate methods for psychological assistance to the survivors in different geopolitical contexts. This article is a preliminary descriptive and exploratory study of psycho-legal counseling—a counseling method employed by the Indian human rights organization, Jananeethi, in its assistance to survivors of torture. “Justice” is the entry point in psycho-legal counseling where the law is used as a therapeutic agent. Phases in the psycho-legal counseling process are identified (reaching out to survivors, being with survivors, empowerment through legal education, mediation, seeking justice, and advocacy). A preliminary inquiry into the impact of this counseling method was made through interviews with 13 survivors of police torture who had received psycho-legal counseling. Strengths and limitations of the psycho-legal counseling approach are discussed, and recommendations for further development o...