Themes by tag: psychological support

Your Support family center for mental health was established last year in Ukraine’s Kyiv region with a mission to help children and their families cope with the psychological effects of war. The center focuses on strengthening emotional resilience and ensuring the healthy development of each child.

A team of psychologists, special education experts, neuropsychologists, lawyers, and employment specialists provides all services free of charge. In just over a year, the center’s experts have offered more than 6,000 consultations. Among those they have helped is a 6-year-old boy who stopped speaking after experiencing shell shock, and a mother raising her 7-year-old son alone, whose child, under immense stress, lost control of his body.

Support is available both online and in person by appointment, allowing families to connect with specialists and others who have benefited from the center’s assistance.

• casualties
• children
• psychological support
• Kyiv

Ihor Shyshko, a resident of Kharkiv, joined the Defense Forces at the beginning of the full-scale invasion,  although he had the opportunity to refuse to serve because he is a father of many children.

In March 2022, he was captured by russian forces. During 801 days of captivity, he endured torture, beatings, and starvation. He lost over 50 kilograms. In May 2024, Ihor was finally released in a prisoner exchange and returned home.

After his release, he founded a support center for soldiers returning from captivity or suffering from injuries.

The main goal of the “Shoulder to Shoulder” center is to help veterans reintegrate into civilian life. The center provides psychological and legal assistance, as well as various engagement programs to help veterans find new career paths in civilian life.

You can contact Ihor Shyshko either online or in person by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• psychological support
• russian crimes

A dog-assisted therapy program to help rehabilitate both military personnel and civilians is currently underway at the Superhumans Center in Lviv. For two weeks, police dogs from the Dog Training Center of the Main Department of the National Police in the Kyiv oblast will work with patients at the center.

The dogs Vanda, Bentley, Ares and Polia worked during the de-occupation of the Kyiv oblast. They were used to search for saboteurs and looters and in demining operations.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, these trained assistance dogs have been actively working in hospitals across the Kyiv region and other areas, providing emotional support to patients. They have undergone special certification and are trained to assist in rehabilitation. Patients can play with, feed and pet the dogs as part of their therapy. The specialists who run the program use unique methods that combine psychological techniques and canine assisted therapy to help patients recover.

Journalists interested in covering these sessions in Lviv next week can arrange access by prior arrangement.

• animals
• casualties
• psychological support
• Lviv

In a remarkable blend of art and healing, an organ built using fragments of enemy missiles that struck the Kyiv region is being used to aid the psychological and physical rehabilitation of wounded defenders. Over the next two months, musicians from the Lviv Organ Hall will conduct a series of master classes for patients at the Unbroken Ukraine’s National Rehabilitation Center. These sessions will allow participants to play this extraordinary instrument and learn about its history and mechanics.  

The organ, currently installed at the Lviv railway station, is the creation of Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadyrova. It was developed as part of the Instrument project, a series of performances that brought together Ukrainian and international musicians. Over the course of two months, performers delivered their programs at the station every Friday and Saturday, using the organ as a centerpiece.  

For reference: The rehabilitation initiative for Ukraine’s wounded defenders is a joint effort supported by Ukrzaliznytsia, the Lviv Organ Hall, and the Lviv City Council. 

• casualties
• culture
• military
• psychological support
• Lviv

On January 13, Kyiv initiated a series of mental health training sessions aimed at bolstering the well-being of critical infrastructure workers. The program stems from a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Kyiv City State Administration and the Ukrainian-Swiss project Mental Health for Ukraine (MH4U), according to Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration for Self-Government, Maryna Honda, as reported by the project’s press service.  

In the first quarter of 2025, MH4U plans to conduct 31 training sessions designed for police officers, social workers, and critical infrastructure personnel. More than 450 professionals are set to receive hands-on instruction in managing stress during crises and emergencies.  

About MH4U: Mental Health for Ukraine is an international development initiative supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, focusing on improving mental health systems in Ukraine.

• psychological support
• Kyiv

The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation operates a 24/7 crisis support hotline offering free psychological assistance. Staffed by 14 trained psychologists, the hotline averages 200-300 calls per week, according to one of its counselors.

The service primarily supports defenders, veterans, and their families, but anyone who needs help is encouraged to call.

The project is run by Oleksandr Chamorsov, a veteran and psychologist.

Journalists interested in covering the work of the hotline can coordinate visits or interviews by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• psychological support

Anna Shchetinina has been with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS) for 15 years. Based in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast, she now works as a psychologist with operational rescue teams responding to emergencies, including missile strikes. According to Anna, the most challenging part of her work is seeing people anxiously waiting for news of loved ones trapped under the rubble. “When you’re providing psychological support and then the body of a deceased relative is recovered – especially if it’s a child – it’s really heartbreaking because I’m a mother myself,” says Anna.

• casualties
• psychological support
• women
• Dnipro

From December 5 to 8, a hiking trip will take place in the Ukrainian Carpathians for demobilized veterans who either love the mountains or want to try hiking for the first time.

The concept of mountain therapy focuses on healing through hiking and reconnecting with oneself, facilitated by interaction with others. The team includes psychologists from the NGO Metta, as well as guides and Ukrainian army veterans Vitalii Dyachuk and Oleksii Kushnier from Nomad.live, who have experienced the benefits of mountain therapy themselves and are now helping their comrades recover. This time Oleksii Kushnier will be the guide.

Background information: Mountain therapy is organized by the NGO Metta. Participation, accommodation and meals are provided free of charge.

• military
• psychological support

From November 9-13, the Voices of Children Foundation is hosting a Writing Residency in Ukraine’s Carpathians, bringing together young writers under the guidance of Ukrainian author Olha Rusina. Among the participants is 17-year-old Sofiia from Odesa, who plans to write a book honoring her father, a police officer who died during the war.

After russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, Sofiia was forced to flee to Moldova, where she encountered challenges, such as enforced russian language use and a school curriculum focused on russian literature. An avid reader, Sofiia even started a reading club for her peers in Moldova. This fall, she enrolled at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv’s Faculty of Journalism, where she connected with Rusina, who now mentors her as she begins work on her father’s story.

Alongside Sofiia, teens from cities including Kharkiv, Dnipro, and the Chernihiv region—many from military families or displaced by the war—will join the residency. Participants will work to process their experiences and turn trauma into resilience through creative expression. Set in a mountain retreat, the program will offer writing workshops, as well as individual and group counseling sessions with psychologists.

Journalists seeking to cover the residency can arrange access in advance, and may also speak with Sofiia in Lviv.

• children
• psychological support
• Ivano-Frankivsk
• Lviv

Hlib, 7, a boy from Sievierodonetsk in Luhansk Oblast—now under russian occupation—faced profound challenges after being displaced by the war. His father, serving in the military, remained behind as Hlib and his mother fled their hometown when the full-scale invasion began. After spending time in Europe, they returned to Ukraine and settled in Dnipro.

The impact of the war took a heavy toll on Hlib’s well-being. He became increasingly emotional, often crying uncontrollably, and struggled to focus, making traditional schooling impossible. His mother decided to have him study at home.

It was during a visit to the Voices of Children Charity Foundation that a psychologist suggested further examinations. As a result, Hlib was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a diagnosis that provided crucial insight into managing his behavior and improving his condition.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Hlib and his mother in Dnipro by appointment.

For reference: October is ADHD Awareness Month. Between 5-8% of children globally are affected by ADHD, which was declared the leading issue in child psychiatry in 2000.

• children
• psychological support
• Dnipro