Who We Are?
STARTTS (NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors) is a specialist, non-profit organisation that for 30 years has provided culturally relevant psychological treatment and community interventions. Our aim is to assist people to heal the scars of torture and refugee trauma and rebuild their lives in Australia.
Why does STARTTS exist?
The refugees coming to Australia have experienced multiple traumas, including war and violence, deprivation, and the death or disappearance of loved ones. The torture and trauma have psychological, emotional and physical consequences and despite the many contributions that refugees make to Australian society, they often need specialised assistance to overcome these experiences. With some help, our clients are more likely to live productive and fulfilling lives.
Neurofeedback program at STARTTS
Neurofeedback program at STARTTS started in 2003 when Mirjana Askovic, now Director of ANFI brought her passion for neuromodulation and her own neurofeedback equipment to STARTTS. With support of STARTTS managements that was innovative and visionary Mirjana got a permission to start neurofeedback treatment with refugee clients.
After initial success with the complex cases Mirjana succeeded to get an approval for another Neurofeedback position, and in 2007 Sejla Murdoch joined Mirjana on this journey that resulted in establishment of the STARTTS’ Neurofeedback Clinic, the first NF clinic in the world to work with refugees, children and adults, survivors of torture and trauma. Since then our team has grown into a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, researchers and neuroscientists who endeavour to expand knowledge in the areas of trauma and mental health and improve quality of life and recovery of our clients.
About ANFI Institute
The Australian Neurofeedback Institute (ANFI) was initiated in early 2019, as a social enterprise of STARTTS to raise revenue to continue providing Neurofeedback as valuable therapy to refugees who could not afford this treatment any other way. ANFI as the centre of excellence has integrated the latest neuroscientific research, cutting edge neuromodulation technologies and outcome driven psychological interventions to provide the highest quality of care to clients affected by trauma and the wider public.
