Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68012
CHARITABLE HEARTS AND HANDS essence of nurturing and caring, which really is a manifestation of love." SEEKING THE WHOLE: MARION MORGAN At the Marjorie Kovler Center for the Treatment of Survivors of Torture in Chicago, a community-based band of volunteer massage therapists work diligently with a sometimes fragile clientele. Torture survivors from around the world find service and respite at the Marjorie Kovler Center, which is part of the Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights. About 100 volunteers keep the Kovler wheels turning. Whether it be massage therapy, dental care, referrals to lawyers to help with asylum, or a doctor to check old wounds, the center has a variety of services for those in need. Marion Morgan has volunteered at the Marjorie Kovler Center since 2000 and is now the massage therapist coordinator there. She says her initial impetus for volunteering at the center was to fulfill a training requirement at the Chicago School of Massage Therapy. It became something much more when she was immediately intrigued with the work and its impact. One of only a few dozen torture treatment facilities around the country, the Marjorie Kovler Center helps survivors reclaim their lives and begin healing. Part of that process is bodywork. "Healing the body is as critical as healing the mind," says Mary Lynn Everson, senior director. "Because people experience torture in a very physical way, the whole reintroduction of safe touch is very important to their healing. How that's done and at what pace is really a critical piece of the process." Morgan says she thinks, "people who are drawn to massage therapy often have a strong desire to help others. That was definitely true for me. And certainly this work can be highly rewarding in that regard. Ideally, what it does is help the torture survivor regain a sense of trust, connection, and reintegration within themselves and within the community. In helping 90 massage & bodywork march/april 2009