As communities across the country grapple with growing political division, a Portland-based trauma clinic is inviting Forest Grove residents to an evening of shared reflection and honest dialogue.

The Integrative Trauma Treatment Center will host “Re-Threading Our Social Fabric: Building Human Connection Together” from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 22, at the Forest Grove Community Auditorium, 1915 Main St., offering a moment of connection through conversation and storytelling.

The free community event centers on a screening of the short documentary “Learning Through Storytelling”, which follows Rwanda’s process of recovery and reconnection following the 1994 genocide.

After the film, participants will engage in a guided conversation about the screening — and reflect on their own personal and communal paths toward healing and reconnection.

Athena Phillips, a therapist and founder of the treatment center, said the event reflects both her local goal of providing trauma treatment and her broader mission to expand access to trauma-informed support in resource-scarce regions — a mission she has pursued over the past nine years through continued work in Rwanda.

“Having visited Rwanda, it just became so clear that they knew what they were doing in terms of the recovery from the genocide, and so we did a 30-minute documentary to capture what sort of cultural strengths contributed to their recovery,” Phillips explained.

The gathering is structured around a few core guidelines: respectful engagement, the creation of a non-judgmental space, and constructive dialogue.

While the event is apolitical and open to all, Phillips noted that growing political rifts in the U.S. helped shape her desire to create a space that could foster more honest, human conversations.

“I returned the day of (the 2016 election), and just to kind of see what was unfolding when I came back was traumatic for myself,” Phillips said. “The contrast between Rwanda and the way that they are, you know, they prioritize community and connection over individual beliefs. It’s a collectivist society.”

“That’s when it began to sort of bubble up in me that we have stuff to learn here and there are other ways to be in the world,” she added.

The event is free to attend, though a donation of $5 to $10 is encouraged. All proceeds will benefit Hope Community Network, a Forest Grove-based nonprofit working to address homelessness.

To RSVP and learn more about the community conversation, visit tinyurl.com/2wrpvucz.