Are falling murder rates enough to heal Central American societies?

Lizeth, an emergency room nurse at a major public hospital here, doesn’t flinch when she attends victims of violence. But her medical training did not include how to confront patient tears or silence or fear.

“Don’t worry, it will all be over soon,” she says she used to tell patients dismissively, thinking it helped them get through a tough moment. But after undergoing a mental health training for professionals steeped in violence and trauma, organized by a nongovernmental organization here, she’s changed her approach. Now she offers breathing exercises, tries to create a safe environment, and builds trust through listening.

Lizeth, who asked to use only her first name for security reasons, is joining a growing number of professionals reshaping mental health in a country still reeling from civil-war era trauma and dealing