Elke Büdenbender (left), Frank-Walter Steinmeier (center) and Susanne Stein during the 2018 New Year's reception at Bellevue Palace

Great Honour for the Trauma Picture Book Project

New Year’s reception with the President

On January 9, 2018, the President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and his wife, Elke Büdenbender, invited guests to the New Year’s reception at Bellevue Palace. In addition to personalities from politics and society, about 70 volunteers also attended. Due to the picture book activities, I had the honor and pleasure of being there. The official statement read as follows:

“Ms. Susanne Stein is the author of a Trauma Picture Book for refugees, available in ten languages, and successfully used both in refugee support in Europe and in the respective crisis areas.” – bundespraesident.de (translated from German)

Elke Büdenbender (left), Susanne Stein (center) and Frank-Walter Steinmeier (right) during the 2018 New Year's reception at Bellevue Palace

As a gift, I presented the President and his wife with two folders containing picture books in various languages and later distributed additional copies to interested parties. The picture books were accompanied by a one-page information sheet listing all contributors. It is only through the large number of supporters that the picture book – available now in 16 languages – was created, and it is only through them that it has achieved such wide usage. Therefore, the thanks go to all the contributors, with whom I wanted to share the honor in this way:

Contributors (as in 2018)

Creation: Syrian friends (inspiration and test reading), Peter Pape (editorial support and encouragement), Hemma Friedrich, Dipl. Psychologist (professional advice), PD Dr. Ulrich Lamparter, doctor and psychoanalyst (professional advice), Sofie Silva Mella (Art Therapist B.A.), and Dipl. Psych. Cornelia Reher, Therapeutic Director of the Refugee Clinic at UKE Hamburg (test readers), Annette Junge-Schepermann, child trauma therapist (usage advice)

Translations:

  • English: Susanne Stein with support from Katharina Sattler, née Pape, and Gloria Garrels
  • Arabic: Kholood Tayar, professional diploma translator
  • Farsi: Fatimeh Ghanizadeh with support from Yasmina Afshar and Ali-Reza Nassery, updated and supplemented by a working group of the HamburgService 115 hotline
  • Dutch: Wilma van der Meijden and Nanda Okkinga, Family on a Mission
  • French: Christine Gloyer
  • Spanish: Isabel Polanco-Bertram, Gestalt therapist, and Cristina Polanco
  • Italian: PsicoCura Psicoanálisis Dr. Rodolfo Valentino, Spain
  • Greek: Anastasia Kalantzi-Azizi, Emeritus University Prof. of Clinical Psychology, University of Athens
  • Kurdish: Naska Rahman, Hamburg, with support from Bakhtyar Hassan, trauma therapist in Iraq
  • Turkish: a working group of the HamburgService 115 hotline

Distribution: Holger Kern, graphic designer (internet publication), Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft/GEW (donations of numerous prints), Goethe-Institut, NDR (interviews), Act Now Vienna (international distribution), recommendations by therapeutic organizations, refugee initiatives, libraries, associations, journals, including Frühe Kindheit, Refugee Forum Hamburg, and many more.

As of 2024

The Trauma Aid Project has grown considerably since the recognition in 2018. New translations, the Trauma Picture Sheet, and guides have been added. Numerous experts, dedicated volunteers, and organizations have made valuable contributions. All contributors are named in the respective publications.