As a political activist Ritterman has served as a spokesperson for Amnesty International and other human rights organizations on the resilience and resourcefulness of families that endure and survive under terror. She has published numerous papers on the subject and founded or co-founded three organizations giving medical and social aid to people in developing countries who would not otherwise receive it because of their political status. Her book "Hope Under Siege: Terror and Family Support in Chile"  with a foreword by Isabel Allende, considers the applications of psychotherapeutic principles in the larger context of political and social reality. In Ritterman’s words “Reciprocity is the highest form of love. And love has everything to do with healing.” ("The Tao of a Woman")  In the forward to "Hope Under Siege" Isabel Allende writes:  "Michele Ritterman has immersed herself in a complex and frightening reality, to discover its secrets and capture its deepest essence. Through the families of political prisoners, she tells us of an abused continent, of a time of horror, and of the incredible extent of human evil. But this book is not a retelling of death and pain. It is above all a testimony of hope. In this book, Michele Ritterman gives us a formidable lesson in life." "Shared Couples Trances" for the Hypnosis Network 2005