The “Lisova Pisnia” children’s camp has completed a series of sessions based on the “Children and War: Learning Healing Techniques” program.

Over the course of two weeks, the children had the opportunity to talk about their experiences in a safe and supportive environment, better understand their emotions, and learn how to cope with stress and anxiety.

An important part of the program was learning practical self-regulation and recovery techniques that children can use not only during the sessions but also in their everyday lives — whenever they experience tension, fear, anxiety, or emotional overload.

We are grateful for the opportunity to be there for the children during this time and to help them take another step toward emotional recovery and psychological resilience.

“Children and War: Learning Healing Techniques” is about more than just the sessions. It is about skills that stay with children and can support them during difficult moments.

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The “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” Charitable Foundation continues its cooperation with the Children’s Resilience Fund: Providing Capacity Building and Funding to Ukrainian Civil Society Organisations in Ukraine, implemented by Crown Agents Ukraine and Integrity Action.

Our partnership began in 2024 and has become an important source of support for the development of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project — a psychological support programme for children who have experienced the traumatic effects of war.

Through this cooperation, we have been able to continue delivering the “Children and War: Teaching Recovery Techniques” groups, expand the geographical reach of our work, and help children and adolescents develop practical skills for coping with fear, anxiety, stress, and other consequences of traumatic experiences.

During the new phase of the project, running from July 2026 to March 2027, “HOPE worldwide” Ukraine plans to provide psychological support to 768 children across Ukraine through 64 therapeutic groups based on the “Children and War: Teaching Recovery Techniques” methodology.

The partnership that began in 2024 is continuing and remains an important part of the project’s implementation. During this time, we have seen the importance of creating safe spaces for children, providing psychological support, and introducing practical tools that contribute to restoring emotional balance. The continuation of this cooperation allows us to expand the programme’s reach and provide support to more children in communities across Ukraine, contributing to their psychological resilience and supporting their families.

The “Children and War: Teaching Recovery Techniques” programme is based on an international methodology developed by specialists from the United Kingdom and Norway. It is designed to address the consequences of traumatic experiences and develop self-help skills. Children learn to better understand their emotions, cope with stress and fear, and use techniques that can continue to support them after the group sessions have ended.

Today, the need for this kind of support remains extremely high. The war continues to affect children’s emotional well-being, regardless of where they live — whether in communities directly affected by hostilities or in communities that have welcomed internally displaced families.

That is why we plan to continue working together with our partners, expanding children’s access to psychological support and helping them develop skills that can remain with them for years to come.

We are grateful to the Children’s Resilience Fund, Crown Agents Ukraine, and Integrity Action for their trust, support, and partnership. Together, we continue working to strengthen the psychological resilience of children across Ukraine.

This project was created by “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” thanks to a grant received from the Children’s Resilience Fund: Providing Capacity Building and Funding to Ukrainian Civil Society Organisations in Ukraine. The programme is implemented by Crown Agents Ukraine and Integrity Action. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of Integrity Action and Crown Agents in Ukraine.

Psychological support groups are currently being held at the “Emerald City” children’s camp in Orynyn for children from Ukraine’s Donetsk region who have experienced the impacts of war and forced displacement.

A total of six support groups are being conducted, bringing together 80 children from communities across the Donetsk region. The sessions are led by two pairs of trainers from our foundation: Serhii Serhieiev and Yana Serhiieva, as well as Larysa Sushko and Zhanna Tiatkova. During the sessions, they use the “Children and War: Teaching Recovery Techniques” (Teaching Recovery Techniques – TRT) program, which helps children better understand their emotions, cope with difficult experiences, reduce anxiety, and build inner resilience.

The children come from communities that continue to endure daily attacks and remain under constant threat due to the ongoing war. For many of them, living with air raid alerts and shelling has become part of everyday life. That is why spending time in a safe environment, receiving emotional support, and learning healthy ways to cope with their feelings is so important.

Throughout the sessions, the trainers create a safe and supportive space where every child feels comfortable sharing their experiences, expressing emotions, and realizing they are not alone. The children also learn practical self-help techniques that they can continue using after returning home to better manage stress and anxiety.

To encourage creativity and provide a positive reminder of their experience, each child received an art kit filled with creative supplies and small gifts to inspire joyful activities at home.

Psychological support cannot change the circumstances children face, but it can help restore their sense of safety, rebuild trust in the world around them, and strengthen their ability to move forward. That is why these support groups are such an important part of helping children grow and heal during wartime.

These groups are made possible through a project funded by generous donors from around the world who contributed via the GlobalGiving platform. We sincerely thank everyone whose support allows us to stand beside children when they need it most.

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Our Foundation’s Chief Psychologist and Head of the Helping Hand for Ukraine project, Iryna Sukhova, together with the project’s psychologist and supervisor, Nataliia Podoliak, participated in the 39th International Congress on Law and Mental Health—one of the leading international forums dedicated to mental health, human rights, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The Congress was held at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Canada, bringing together researchers, practitioners, and representatives of civil society organizations from around the world.

During the Congress, they presented our Foundation’s many years of experience in providing psychological support to children, adults, families, and communities affected by the war in Ukraine. Conference participants were introduced to research findings based on the Foundation’s practical work, as well as scientific publications prepared by our team. Special attention was given to how the organization’s long-standing practical experience has served as the foundation for developing effective psychological support programs and advancing evidence-informed research.

Participation in the Congress provided an important opportunity to share Ukraine’s experience with the international professional community, discuss contemporary approaches to supporting mental health in the context of war and humanitarian crises, and strengthen professional networks for future collaboration.

For our Foundation, participating in this prestigious international event represents significant recognition of our team’s long-term commitment to combining direct psychological support, scientific research, and the implementation of evidence-based approaches to mental health care.

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Our Foundation’s trainers, Iryna Sukhova and Yana Serhieieva, took part in a training project for professionals from multidisciplinary mobile teams who work daily with children and families in remote communities across the Sumy region.

Over the course of three days, 24 participants learned practical tools for providing psychological support to children through the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program. Alongside the training, participants also had an opportunity for restorative self-care, recognizing that professionals who support others every day also need time and space to replenish their own emotional resources.

The Sumy region remains one of the areas of Ukraine that continues to face regular shelling and constant security threats. Despite these difficult conditions, multidisciplinary mobile teams travel to remote communities, support children and families, organize safe spaces for children and adolescents, and help them regain a sense of care, stability, and psychological safety.

Their work is demanding, emotionally exhausting, and often carried out in dangerous circumstances, yet it is critically important for the children of the region. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the training of these professionals by sharing practical knowledge and effective psychological support tools. For our Foundation, this is an important contribution to the recovery and rehabilitation of children living through war.

The training was conducted within the framework of the project “Provision of Integrated Child Protection and Social Support Services in Remote Communities of Sumy Region,” implemented by UNICEF and the NGO “Fishing Club of Ukraine” with the support of the governments of the United States, Norway, and Sweden.

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In April and May, “Children and War: Teaching Recovery Techniques” online psychological support groups for children from Kramatorsk were conducted within the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project. The groups were facilitated by trainers Yana Serhieieva and Serhii Serhieiev.

The participants were children living in the reality of war, constant anxiety, and uncertainty. For many of them, simply having the opportunity to meet regularly online, see familiar faces, experience support, and feel safe became an important part of their emotional recovery.

For many children in frontline Kramatorsk, the online format has become more than an alternative to in-person meetings — it has been the only safe way to receive regular psychological support. Amid the constant threat of shelling, air raid alerts, and security restrictions, our online groups help ensure continued access to professional assistance and support children’s emotional well-being. Rather than a temporary solution, the online format has become a necessary condition that allows children in a frontline community to receive ongoing psychological support despite the challenging security situation.

During the sessions, children learned to better understand their emotions and cope with anxiety, fear, and worry. Participants were introduced to self-regulation techniques, breathing exercises, safe-place practices, strategies for working through fears, and methods for restoring emotional balance.

The trainers noted that with each session, the children became more open, confident, and engaged in communication. Those who were initially hesitant to speak or afraid of making mistakes gradually began to trust the group more, take initiative, and share their personal experiences.

Particularly meaningful were the moments when children began using the techniques not only during the sessions but also in their everyday lives. One participant learned to independently use the “square breathing” technique when experiencing strong anxiety. Another child started practicing the “safe place” exercise together with their grandmother at home to help manage difficult emotions and regain a sense of calm.

These small steps are incredibly important, as they gradually help children restore a sense of safety, trust, and inner resilience even under difficult life circumstances.

We sincerely thank the trainers for their attentiveness, compassion, and support, as well as every child for their trust, courage, and willingness to embrace the path toward healing and recovery.

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In May, the “Children and War: Teaching Recovery Techniques” psychological support groups for teenagers were held in Kamianets-Podilskyi. The groups were facilitated by trainers Tetiana Hordii and Tetiana Khameliuk within the framework of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project.

The participants were children and teenagers from Melitopol who were forced to leave their homes because of the war. For many of them, these meetings became not only an opportunity to learn how to better cope with fear and anxiety, but also a space where they could experience support, acceptance, and a sense of safety.

Each group had its own unique character, yet similar changes could be observed in all of them. Teenagers who initially kept their distance or hid their feelings behind humor or reserve gradually learned to talk about their emotions, trust one another, and share meaningful experiences. Within the safe environment of the group, they found support, opened up to sincere communication, and increasingly became a source of support for others. Particularly valuable were the conversations about their experiences of war, the loss of home, and fears that had previously been difficult to discuss even with close family members.

During the sessions, participants learned self-regulation techniques, worked through their fears, practiced recognizing their emotions, and explored their inner resources for recovery and resilience. For many teenagers, exercises focused on creating a sense of safety, developing empowering thoughts, and managing anxiety proved especially meaningful.

By the end of the program, a warm atmosphere of trust and acceptance had developed among the participants. The final meetings were filled with hugs, words of gratitude, and hopes to meet again in the future.

We sincerely thank the trainers for their compassionate and professional work, as well as every child and teenager for their trust, courage, and willingness to walk this path of healing and recovery together.

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Recently, another warm and deeply meaningful “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” has been conducted. The training was led by trainers of our project, Iryna Sukhova and Tetiana Oboianska for the “VAV Better Future” Charity Foundation.

For many years, CF “VAV Better Future” and our Foundation have been united by fruitful cooperation, joint work with children and families, and a shared desire to make psychological support accessible to those living in the reality of war.

We are sincerely grateful to the team of “VAV Better Future” for their dedicated implementation of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program, for their ongoing support of specialists, and for their care for young Ukrainians who today especially need safe spaces, support, and recovery.

This was already the third training group this year. Specialists from different regions of Ukraine joined the program, including participants from the Poltava, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

During the training, participants studied recovery techniques, methods for working with children’s groups, and ways to support children experiencing anxiety, fear, and emotional exhaustion. At the same time, restoring the participants’ own emotional resources became equally important, as working with people requires great inner strength — especially during these difficult wartime conditions.

The warm atmosphere of communication, mutual support, breathtaking views of the Dniester and Smotrych river confluence, delicious food, and gentle spa experiences created a space where participants could not only learn, but also pause, recharge, and feel cared for.

We are grateful to continue this cooperation and to work together so that even more children in Ukraine can receive the psychological support they need and the opportunity to gradually recover, even during wartime.

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During war, not only children but also adults need support. Every day, many people live with anxiety, exhaustion, and the constant responsibility of caring for their families.

In Kyiv, a psychological support course has been recently held by trainers Olha Posternak and Tetiana Holovko as part of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project. Over the course of 7 therapy sessions, participants had the opportunity to speak openly about their emotions, experiences, and the challenges they face daily during wartime.

The group included 10 women, most of whom are raising children with special educational needs. For many of them, the everyday challenges of caring for their children are combined with the constant stress of war, air raid alarms, and emotional exhaustion.

The trainers shared that even air raid alerts did not stop the participants from attending the meetings. The women patiently waited for the danger to pass and hurried back to the sessions, worried they might be canceled. The final meeting even had to be held twice because air raid alarms lasted for several days in a row.

At the beginning of the program, many participants found it difficult to talk about their pain and experiences. But gradually, the group became a place of trust and openness. By the end of the meetings, the women were able not only to share their emotions, but also to speak about hope, dreams, and the wish to see their children happy in a peaceful future.

Support groups like these become spaces where adults can feel that they are not alone in their struggles. And when adults receive support, children around them gain more safety and stability too.

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Two “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” psychological support groups for children and teenagers have recently been completed in Kamianets-Podilskyi by trainers Zhanna Melnyk and Tetiana Kharkova.

Over the course of seven sessions, participants learned to better understand their emotions and work through anxiety, stress, and the effects of traumatic experiences caused by war. A total of 23 children and teenagers took part in the groups, many of whom continue to live under constant stress due to the war, while others have experienced evacuation, displacement, or the loss of their homes.

The trainers shared that the sessions helped children gradually open up, feel safer, and find words for emotions that had previously been difficult to express. For many participants, the group became a safe space where they could talk about fear, grief, and painful memories without judgment or pressure.

One of the participants, Anastasiia, was forced to leave her hometown Mykolaiv because of the war and now lives with her grandmother in Kamianets-Podilskyi. During the sessions, she often spoke about her home, her parents, and the pets she deeply misses. Over time, she discovered her own way of coping with emotions — she began writing a book about her experiences, memories, and dreams.

Another participant, Maksym, initially showed high levels of anxiety and avoided interaction with other children. Gradually, he became more engaged in the group activities and, by the end of the program, was able to say: “Before, the war was always in my head. Now I know how to push it out and make space for dreams again”.

Stories like these remind us how essential psychological support is for children and teenagers during wartime. Even a few safe and supportive meetings can become the beginning of healing, helping children regain trust, emotional stability, and a sense of hope.

Every contribution helps us organize new support groups, create safe spaces for children, and stay close to families exactly when they need it most.

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