Our roots
Groupworks International grew out of the work and practice of Room to Heal, a London-based, therapeutic community for survivors of torture from around the world, set up by Mark Fish in 2007.
Over thirteen years, the organisation garnered considerable knowledge and expertise in the effective rehabilitation of survivors of torture and organised violence through a unique, community-based, model of group support.
Such was Room to Heal’s success that from 2014 onwards, the organisation was asked increasingly to share its community rehabilitation model with organisations around the world, particularly in the MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2018, Mark stepped down as the Director of Room to Heal. He then founded Groupworks International to work more exclusively on building partnerships with organisations in regions of greatest need and focus on the provision of innovative therapeutic group training and supervision programmes.
Room to Heal at the UN
Mark Fish talked about Room to Heal at a Public Event at the Palais des Nations, the United Nations HQ in Geneva in June 2017: ‘Torture Victims in the Context of Migration: Identification, Redress and Rehabilitation’, organised by the UN Fund for Victims of Torture.
The three-day series of expert workshops was attended by around 50 frontline workers: experts, human rights practitioners, lawyers, psychiatrists, social workers, therapists from selected agencies around the globe that are supported by the UN Fund, as well as heads of state.
Restore with Eoin Walker
Podcast episode 28: Mark Fish talks about the Room to Heal therapeutic community