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As people are socializing in the front room, community members are called one by one to a private room for their appointments. Dr. Gracer is meeting with clients and providing psychiatric services with support from key CERI team members who integrate the sensitive and critical interpretation for these sessions. Through partnering with Dr. Gracer over the last two decades, our Khmer elders, survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide, have experienced remarkable relief from their PTSD symptoms of insomnia, nightmares, flashbacks, panic attacks, and depression. Access to psychiatric services is cause for celebration at CERI. While dominant culture might shame someone for meeting with a psychiatrist, among our Khmer community there is no hiding and no stigma about it. Receiving this support is seen as part of what makes CERI home. Cultivating such safety, comfort, and even joy around psychiatric care is the result of long term relationship building between CERI clients and Dr. Gracer - years of him coming to our office not just to offer his expertise, but also to share stories and food as a member of our community. Dr. Gracer, we are truly grateful to you for your care and commitment to the CERI community.
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