Themes by tag: psychological support
A discussion on access to psychological support for Ukrainian children will take place in Kyiv on June 4.
Speakers at the event include Sofia and Yevheniia, beneficiaries of the Voices of Children Foundation; Olena Rozvadovska, co-founder of the Voices of Children Foundation; Nataliia Sosnovenko, head of the foundation’s Center for Psychological Expertise; and Larysa Hretchenko, a lawyer specializing in children’s rights protection and chair of the Ukrainian National Bar Association’s Family Law Committee.
Staff at the Voices of Children Foundation regularly work with children who directly request psychological support. However, many are unable to receive it. Ukrainian law requires consent from a parent or another legal guardian before a child can access psychological services — even when parents are serving on the front line, living under temporary occupation, have died, hold negative views toward mental health professionals, or are themselves a source of danger to the child.
The foundation’s proposals for improving access to psychological and psychiatric care for Ukrainian children and adolescents are available at the following link.
Background: According to a study by Beyond Conflict published in September 2024, 80% of Ukrainian children live with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Access to timely support often depends on whether there is an adult available and willing to provide consent for psychological assistance.
Ukrainian legislation divides minors into two categories. Children under the age of 14 are permitted only to carry out minor everyday transactions, such as purchasing food, clothing, or toys. Adolescents aged 14 to 18 may open bank accounts and manage their own income. However, neither group is currently allowed to independently seek psychological support.
On May 31 in Bucha, Kyiv region, the event “Match of Expectation: Every Voice Saves” will take place. As part of the event, the Ukrainian national veterans’ team will play an advocacy football match against the Kyiv regional team to draw attention to the families of missing and captured Ukrainian defenders.
The Ukrainian national veterans’ team will include well-known Ukrainian football players and former professional players: Andriy Biba, Yevhen Seleznyov, Yevhen Khacheridi, Serhiy Nazarenko, Oleksiy Bielik, Mykola Morozyuk, Yuriy Maksymov, Eduard Tsykhmeistruk, Oleh Sobutskyi, Volodymyr Lysenko, Mykola Ishchenko, Viacheslav Sviderskyi, Volodymyr Bondarenko, and Serhii Pohorilyi.
The Kyiv regional team will consist of war veterans, service members, volunteers, representatives of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, the Kyiv Regional Council, local communities, the National Police in Kyiv region, and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
A symbolic installation will be created in the stadium stands: military uniforms will be placed on 500 seats as a symbol of presence. Each seat will represent a defender whose fate remains unknown and a family that continues to wait. Nearby, photographs of missing soldiers, their words, and links to personal stories will be displayed.
Before the match, participants will form a circle of solidarity around the pitch with lit torches. The first kick of the ball will be taken by a child of a missing defender together with a man from Bucha who was released from captivity.
Within the “Match of Expectation: Every Voice Saves” initiative, families and relatives of missing defenders will be able to receive free legal and psychological support from partner organizations and, if they wish and consent, fill out a needs assessment form for further assistance and follow-up.
Journalists must register in advance to attend the event.
Background: The advocacy event is organized by the NGO “Voices of Silence.” It is an association of families of missing and captured Ukrainian defenders, founded in Bucha by Nataliia Ilyina, the wife of a missing defender.
On May 31 in Bucha, Kyiv region, the event “Match of Expectation: Every Voice Saves” will take place. As part of the event, the Ukrainian national veterans’ team will play an advocacy football match against the Kyiv regional team to draw attention to the families of missing and captured Ukrainian defenders.
The Ukrainian national veterans’ team will include well-known Ukrainian football players and former professional players: Andriy Biba, Yevhen Seleznyov, Yevhen Khacheridi, Serhiy Nazarenko, Oleksiy Bielik, Mykola Morozyuk, Yuriy Maksymov, Eduard Tsykhmeistruk, Oleh Sobutskyi, Volodymyr Lysenko, Mykola Ishchenko, Viacheslav Sviderskyi, Volodymyr Bondarenko, and Serhii Pohorilyi.
The Kyiv regional team will consist of war veterans, service members, volunteers, representatives of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, the Kyiv Regional Council, local communities, the National Police in Kyiv region, and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
A symbolic installation will be created in the stadium stands: military uniforms will be placed on 500 seats as a symbol of presence. Each seat will represent a defender whose fate remains unknown and a family that continues to wait. Nearby, photographs of missing soldiers, their words, and links to personal stories will be displayed.
Before the match, participants will form a circle of solidarity around the pitch with lit torches. The first kick of the ball will be taken by a child of a missing defender together with a man from Bucha who was released from captivity.
Within the “Match of Expectation: Every Voice Saves” initiative, families and relatives of missing defenders will be able to receive free legal and psychological support from partner organizations and, if they wish and consent, fill out a needs assessment form for further assistance and follow-up.
Journalists must register in advance to attend the event.
Background: The advocacy event is organized by the NGO “Voices of Silence.” It is an association of families of missing and captured Ukrainian defenders, founded in Bucha by Nataliia Ilyina, the wife of a missing defender.
The NGO Care Academy (Akademiia Turboty) is presenting its social and educational initiative “Different Together” and its main character, Pascal the Cat, who has a bionic ear and paw.
The initiative aims to foster a culture of accepting differences and respecting others among primary school children.
Visitors can meet Pascal and learn more about the initiative at the Book Country festival in Kyiv.
Schedule:
- April 23–24 (Thursday–Friday): 12:00–18:00
- April 25–26 (Saturday–Sunday): 10:00–18:00
The Care Academy’s mental health space is an interactive zone at the festival, where children and adults can meet Pascal and discuss care, support, respect, and acceptance of differences. The programme features creative, physical, and educational activities led by ambassadors, influencers, bloggers, authors, and public figures.
Highlights include a fitness session with veteran, psychologist and athlete Oleksandr Chumak, who was part of the Ukrainian team that won a regatta at the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf; a workshop titled “Metal Paw: How Bionic Prosthetics Are Made”; “Talisman of Faith,” a pottery session with veteran and ceramic artist Volodymyr Dovhan (DOVGAN-ART); and a masterclass “Friendship Bracelets” by Oleksandra Paskal.
The full programme is available online.
Background: Pascal the Cat is the central figure of the initiative. The character was created by Care Academy in cooperation with Daria Herasymchuk and named after Ukrainian gymnast Oleksandra Paskal, who, after sustaining a severe injury and losing a leg in a missile strike, continued training and inspiring others.
Care Academy is Ukraine’s first online child development platform focused on mental well-being, operating on its own methodology.
Media representatives are invited on April 6 to attend the official presentation of the national program “Journey to Yourself. Paths to Recovery,” implemented by the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine with the support of the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine in cooperation with Brand Ukraine.
The program is aimed at supporting the emotional and psycho-physical recovery of Ukrainians through travel across the country, engagement with natural and cultural practices, and exploration of personal roots and heritage.
“Journey to Yourself. Paths to Recovery” includes the development of a digital tourism platform featuring a map of “places of power,” a national information campaign, training programs for tourism sector stakeholders, and the attraction of international technical assistance to support local businesses and communities.
The presentation will take place on the historic hills of Vytachiv, a site associated with the origins of the Trypillian culture.
Speakers:
- Alona Shkrum, First Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine
- Nataliia Tabaka, Head of the State Agency for Tourism Development
- Mariia Lypiatska, Head of Brand Ukraine
- Oleksandr Sobko, owner of the “Vytach” bakery
Journalists can review the full program in advance. Accreditation is required. Transportation from Kyiv will be provided.
Journalists are invited to attend a Mental Health Evening for Media — a supportive and informal gathering focused on mental well-being.
Participants will:
- learn why the “inner critic” can undermine professional performance;
- explore practices of mindful self-compassion;
- reflect in a safe and familiar circle to reconnect with their inner motivation and resilience.
The event will take place on April 3 in Kyiv. It will be led by Yuliia Tkachenko and Olha Koba, psychologists and cognitive behavioral therapists.
Participation is free, but the number of places is limited.
Journalists are required to complete a registration form in advance.
Background: Mental Health Evenings are part of the Mental Support for Media program, implemented by the Suspilnist Foundation in partnership with the BrainCult Center for Development and Psychotherapy, with support from IMS (International Media Support).
The Academy of Care, together with NPC “Ukrenergo,” has launched a special initiative for Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 (World Children’s Mental Health Week 2026).
When it is dark and cold outside and power outage schedules become part of everyday life, it is especially important for children to feel that their “place” within the family remains a territory of warmth and safety. The goal of this year’s initiative is to provide families with a unique set of practical tools for “generating” warmth at home — tools that help preserve inner energy and emotional connection even during blackouts.
Format: a three-way meeting (child – adult – psychologist) via the MaPanda app. In real time, the psychologist operates the animated character Cat Pascal, creating the magic of live interaction. As a character with his own story of overcoming challenges, Cat Pascal becomes a “safe Other” for the child. Through this playful bridge, young psychologists help families tune their “mental tuning fork” of trust and safety. This is not just a session — it is the shared creation of a family story about how, even in a changing world, there is a place that truly belongs to them, where safety remains a constant.
The project will reach 700 families with children aged 6 to 9. Each family will receive a unique set of tools for “generating” warmth at home.
By prior arrangement, journalists may speak with the psychologist and founder of the “Academy of Care,” Anastasiia Svoboda, as well as, if possible, with participating families (parents and children) who have joined the initiative.
For reference: The initiative is implemented by the NGO “Opportunities. Motivation. Media.” (Academy of Care) in cooperation with MaPanda and in partnership with the Advisor–Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights and Child Rehabilitation, Daria Herasymchuk, within the project “Gender-sensitive approaches to mental health and psychosocial support in Ukraine,” implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH with funding from the Government of Germany.
For the past three years, the InNikos canine therapy center in Kyiv has provided a unique form of support, bringing together therapy dogs, professional dog trainers, psychologists, and rehabilitation specialists to aid in the mental and physical recovery of those impacted by Russia’s war.
The center serves a wide range of clients, including active-duty military personnel, families of service members, internally displaced persons, children who endured occupation, and others affected by the conflict. All sessions are offered free of charge, available either in group settings or one-on-one.
Six therapy dogs currently work at the facility. The most experienced are Chelsea, a mixed breed, and Freya, a miniature schnauzer, both 11 years old. The youngest is Sunny, a two-year-old Australian shepherd. Two Belgian shepherds, set to turn one in February, are now in training and preparing for certification.
Similar canine therapy programs are also up and running in Rivne, Chernivtsi, and Myrhorod.
Journalists interested in covering the center’s work in the capital are welcome by prior arrangement.
The InNikos center operates with support from the Royal Canin Foundation.
Media are invited to attend the presentation of the National Psychological Association’s Helpline activity results on December 11. The helpline has been operating for three and a half years and has become one of the key crisis support services during the full-scale war. The event will take place in Kyiv.
During the event, the NPA will present:
- Statistical data on the total number of inquiries over 3.5 years;
- Information on the types of inquiries and the most common issues raised by callers;
- Analysis of changes in demand during different periods of the war;
- The role of the helpline in supporting vulnerable population groups.
Participants:
- Valeriia Palii, Co-founder of the NPA Helpline, Vice President of the NPA, Academic Director of the Psychology program at KSE, practicing psychologist;
- Diana Shkarpitko, psychologist and trauma therapist at the NPA Helpline, facilitator of support groups for military families and training sessions for specialists;
- Svitlana Iliashenko, psychiatrist at the NPA Helpline with over 20 years of experience, child psychiatrist, member of the Ukrainian Psychiatric Association and the International Association of Psychologists.
Journalists must register for the event.
The project is aimed at military personnel in Kyiv for rotation or recovering from injuries. The project’s goal is to help servicemembers who have just returned from the front line recover psychologically and physically, relieve stress, improve their mood, and boost morale.
The methodology, developed by Hanna Buraho, a Gestalt therapist and the founder of the Spirit Rehabilitation Center, is based on interacting with animals (horses, dogs, and cats).
Group sessions in hippotherapy, canine therapy, and psychotherapy are conducted with groups of 12 military personnel. The sessions consist of several stages. First, participants gather in a circle and work with a psychotherapist. Then, they move to the stable where they get acquainted with the horses, groom them, and treat them with snacks under the supervision of a hippotherapist. Finally, they ride the horses and perform exercises with them.
Since its inception in the summer of 2022, the project has attracted approximately 5,000 participants.
Journalists may cover the Spirit Warrior project by prior arrangement.
