Once upon a time …

… a group of women noticed something strange in their work at the child and adolescent psychiatry department of UZ Brussel. In the middle of one of the most diverse cities in Europe, their waiting room was exclusively white.

Solentra. In 2005, the non-profit association Solentra – short for ‘Solidarity and Trauma’ – was founded. Solentra started offering psychotherapy to children and families with a migration background. A culturally sensitive approach allowed therapists to take barriers such as language, culture, taboo and the clients’ socio-economic situation into account.

10 years later. Europe was facing a refugee crisis. That is why in 2015, Solentra shifted its focus to people with a refugee background, including adults, and specialised in war trauma. In addition to the main office in Brussels, branches opened up in Antwerp, Limburg and West Flanders.