To work with groups of adults during the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions is always more difficult than with children. At least one or two participants have a skeptical attitude towards the program. In one such group for adults who came from the Kharkiv region, participants opened up gradually, were mostly passive, but took turns talking about themselves and practicing exercises. Nataliya was different, she did not want to talk about herself. At the first meeting she made it clear that the techniques offered by the trainers would not help her cope with her problem. When the trainers encouraged her to share, she replied that she would listen to others, and if she wanted to, she would then tell her story. Only at the fourth meeting was the woman able to talk about what happened to her. She immediately said that she did not believe in the effectiveness of the techniques and considered it all just playing. But every time she listened to the feedback of other participants and only then decided to try the techniques herself.

Nataliya told that since the beginning of the war, her village was occupied for some time, and then it was under intense shelling. Now her house is destroyed, there is no home to return to. And even these terrible events were overshadowed by the horror of what happened to her daughter. Nataliya remembers that bombings were very frequent, but the residents of the house learned to run outside for water between attacks. It was relatively quiet that day, her daughter said she would go get water as it was safer on that day. Nataliya was afraid to let her go, asked her to stay, but her daughter assured her that she would be careful. She said that explosions have not been heard for a long time, so everything will be fine. She was gone for about 20 minutes. Nataliya began to worry, until suddenly she heard the whistle of a rocket and an explosion very close to them. The woman ran out onto the balcony, saw her daughter lying on the street, many people around, and then an ambulance, a hospital, a disability…

At first, Nataliya thought that her daughter was dead, but then it turned out that she was injured by a rocket part. The woman realizes that disability is for life, thus it is difficult for her to accept what happened. She thinks every day how they should live on, how her daughter should learn to live with the trauma. After the sessions Nataliya began to practice the “Safe Place” technique and noticed that her anxiety decreased. She also really enjoyed using the exercise of strong positive self-affirmations. The woman started using it every time she noticed the appearance of negative thoughts. She also managed to perform the technique of choosing an imaginary assistant, who would help to cope with negative memories. However, Nataliya transformed this exercise. She didn’t imagine a superhero or a helper for herself, but thought of herself as a superhero for her daughter. At the last meeting, when everyone shared their impressions, Nataliya said that she felt better, became more emotionally stable, and almost accepted the situation with her daughter. They are now planning to prepare for prosthetics.

On the photo, group therapy sessions “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” conducted in March-April 2024 in Kotyurzhyntsi village, Khmelnytskyi region by the trainers of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, Olha Traichun and Nataliya Skrylnykova.

We are grateful to our partner, Canada-Ukraine Foundation, for the financial support.

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On April 15-19, 2024, another group of psychologists, teachers and volunteers, consisting of 60 people, participated in the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” online training. The psychologists of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, Iryna Sukhova and Olena Bozhor, trained the participants. After the training, the inspired participants moved on to the next stage of their participation in our project – to organize and conduct group therapy sessions within the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program. All participants will receive comprehensive support from the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project and supervision from the experienced trainers.

We sincerely thank everyone for their interest and activity in education and wish them fruitful work with the children of Ukraine.

Special thanks for cooperation to our old friends and partners – CO “HOPE worldwide Canada”!

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In the spring, the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project in cooperation with the CF “SOS: Headquarters of Civil Defense” in Kamianets-Podilskyi conducted several “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” group therapy sessions for the elderly (60 years and older). The participants of the groups learned to recognize their psychological traumas, overcome the symptoms and collected internal resources to start looking in the future with hope. During their long lives, these people have accumulated a lot of pain, but also a lot of wisdom. The sessions were a kind of exchange – the trainers taught the participants recovery techniques, and the participants thoughts the trainers. In total, 42 persons took part in group sessions.

Comment from one of the participants: “I’ve been given many gifts throughout my life, and I was not limited in attention, but this gift… it’s from my childhood. I never had anything like this. Thank you for taking me back into my childhood!”

On the photo, group therapy sessions are conducted by Svitlana Huminska and Zhanna Tyatkova, trainers of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program.

The sessions were held with the support of our partner HOPE worldwide Zurich.

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“Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions for children in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region were completed at the end of March 2024.

The trainers of the program Khrystyna Kypryanova and Leyla Kravchenko worked with the children. “Today we held a festive final “Children and War. TRT” therapy session, held within HOPE worldwide Ukraine project”, – shared Khrystyna Kypryanova. – The children are very satisfied, they have learned how to cope with their fears and anxieties, have become more open and now know how to take care of themselves and their loved ones. The most valuable thing was to see their sincere, positive emotions and smiles.”

The trainers thanked the parents of the participants for their trust, and the Kramatorsk Volunteer Center for the pleasant cooperation.

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On March 04-06, 2024, a three-day “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” training program took place in Poltava. 25 participants, school psychologists, teachers, social pedagogues, shared that healing and recovery techniques are exactly the kind of psychological tool that is now very much needed in schools with many children from IDP families. In addition, due to war events in the country, local children are also often frightened, alarmed, and apathetic. Therefore, teachers and psychologists should know how to help children. Trainers who already have practical experience with the program also joined the training. They shared their experiences and details of working with children and their parents with the group.

The training was conducted by the psychologists of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project – Iryna Sukhova and Tetyana Oboyanska. The event was held in cooperation with the Ostrogradsky Poltava Academy of Continuing Education and with the financial support of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.

Feedback from participants.

Halyna Druzhynina: “Thank you very much for the resources, positivity, inspiration, for the opportunity to make sure that “I can!” For invaluable tools of working with children, for helping us and our children to feel happy”.

Svitlana Selvestrova: “It was very cool to be in a circle of like-minded people, to get such invaluable experience, this box of self-help techniques. I want to thank the trainers and organizers for the opportunity to switch, to recall that I also have a sense of humor and remember how to laugh, and enjoy the opportunity to learn something new (this feeling cannot be compared with anything)”.

Inna Bertash: “I am grateful the organizers and trainers of CF “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” the effective balance of knowledge that I will use for myself and people around me. The techniques and methods are super effective (I tried it on myself)!”

Vitaliya Yarosh: “Thank you, Iryna and Tetyana for effective healing and recovery techniques and tools. The training was interesting and intense. I will practice the knowledge I have gained with children and adults. After all, with many techniques, one can manage emotions and own condition! Thank you for your professionalism! ”

Alina Zenchenko: “I am thankful to the trainers of our project for intense, theoretically and practically meaningful training, positively colored, warm, atmospheric. I take with me th knowledge and experience, which, I hope, I will convey to children and adults. Thank you!”

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On March 04, 2024, the new trainers of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program in Poltava received th ecertificates. The psychologists of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project Iryna Sukhova and Tetyana Oboyanska handed in the certificates.

“In autumn last lyear, we had a training for a group of trainers in cooperation with Korolenko Poltava Pedagogical University, – shares Iryna Sukhova. – Finally, we certified those of them who successfully underwent the practical stage of the project and worked fruitfully with groups of children and adults. We talked in a warm atmosphere in the premises of the university, noted the peculiarities of the work of each of the groups and the relevance of the program.”

The team of our project congratulates the young trainers with good results at the beginning of their work with the program and wishes them further success.

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From February 29 to March 2, 2024, the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” training took place in Khmelnytskyi. 24 participants from Khmelnytskyi and Khmelnytskyi region, as well as from Vinnytsia, studied the topic of the reasons and overcoming of PTSD, which residents of Ukraine experience during the war. Iryna Sukhova and Nataliya Podolyak, psychologists of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, shared their knowledge and experience with the group. New specialists will conduct “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions. They will teach the participants self-help techniques to overcome stress, fears, pain, losses, to ease own psycho-emotional state.

The training was conducted within the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project in cooperation with partners from CF “Rokada” (Khmelnytskyi) and with the financial support of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.

Feedback from participants.

Daria Tsechmeister: “Expectations from the training were met 100%. I plan to implement the program at the Vinnytsia Technical Vocational College in March-April this year. Thank you for setting hearts alight. Thanks to this many children are healed. With such opportunities, our nation has a great future”.

Liudmyla Bezditna: “The material is presented nicely, it is structured. I plan to implement the program in March in two communities of our region (not far from the city). The training was incredible, the examples were relevant. I am very grateful for the opportunity to participate in such training.”

Tetyana Halytska: “I really liked the training. We plan to conduct groups for students at the Khmelnytskyi National University, as well as, perhaps, another group online. The “Children and War. TRT” training was relevant for me, because I work with people on a psychological platform as a volunteer and I receive for such first aid. I also want to help my loved ones and teach them self-help exercises. Many thanks to the wonderful trainers for easy and clear presentation of the material.”

Maryna Sulimenko: “The training is incredible. I feel full and with growing wings. I plan to conduct groups at secondary school #12 in March-April this year. “Children and War. TRT” is a program that helps children and adults overcome their fears, traumas, and experiences not on paper, but in practice.”

Alla Verbolovych: “You have exceeded my expectations. I plan to implement the program in the nearest future at Lyceum #7 in Khmelnytskyi. Many thanks to the trainers and the organizing team for the fulfilling days, for the up-to-date material, sincerity and high professionalism.”

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In the period from February 10 to 24, 2024, 120 children aged 8-13 from Kharkiv and Kharkiv region took part in the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions, held at the “Litokryl” children’s camp in Irshava, Zakarpattia region.

“Litokryl” is an all-Ukrainian project of psycho-emotional support for children from the Rescue Now Foundation, which conducts charity camps. The purpose of the camps is to provide support to children who suffered due to the war in Ukraine.

The team of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project was happy to join this project in order to conduct the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions for children as part of the camp program, as well as to provide individual psychological help to those who needed it.

During the therapy sessions, the children learned to overcome anxiety, fears and post-traumatic stress. In order for this support to become reliable and long-term for children, the camp program also included online meetings for parents. Talented, sensitive, supportive trainers of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project Svitlana Olfirenko, Bohdana Napleta, Viktoriya Tristan, Tetyana Drabych worked with the children.

We sincerely thank our partners for their cooperation!

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The “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” training for new trainers took place on February 14-16, 2024 in Kyiv. It was organised in partnership with the Center for the Professional Development of Teachers in Kyiv and the Kyiv Teacher’s House. Iryna Sukhova, Nataliya Podolyak and Tetiana Oboyanska, trainers and psychologists of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, trained 29 participants who will further conduct “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy groups for children and adults. The project team will help them with organizational and supervisory support. We are looking forward to an active and busy spring period and hope for positive results.

The training was held with the financial support of our partner, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF).

Feedback from the participants.

Maria Shamina: “The highest score, 10 points for everything. I am inspired by this project, and hope to implement it in the near future. The “Children and War” program is very useful and timely, because children are the most vulnerable category of those in need of psychological assistance. It carefully and gently guides children from meeting to meeting, healing their souls and bodies”.

Olha Khoptyar: “The training, the material, the coffee breaks, the premises, the methodology, the atmosphere – I rate everything 10 points. I plan to organize 2 groups, gain experience, and put the knowledge into practice. The training is incredible! The organizers and trainers are wonderful and professional! Thank you very much for the valuable information, structure, and knowledge box.”

Yana Khyzhnyak: “The score is 10. I want to gather a group of teachers and then extend the program to children and parents. Thank you very much for the training, it is exactly what I wanted from such a program. Experienced trainers, wise organization!”

Oksana Yashchenko: “100 points out of 10 possible for everything. I would like to implement the program as soon as possible, that is, immediately. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to get trained in “Children and War” program. I would really like to see such programs become widespread and actively spread around the world. Thank you!”

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On January 12, 2024, 13 new trainers of “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program received the certificates. The certificates were awarded to the participants of the training, which took place in October last year. The new trainers shared their experience, talked about their insights during the practical part of the project (conducting therapy groups), how simple and effective the program is and how much children like it. They also talked about improving the psycho-emotional state of children as a significant result of the therapy sessions, and emphasized that it is necessary to implement the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program in every school, not only in Lutsk, but throughout Ukraine.

Iryna Sukhova, head and chief psychologist of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, and Khrystyna Kipryanova, psychologist and project coordinator handed out the certificates.

We would like to thank Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University for cooperation! And many thanks to our partner, the Canada Ukraine Foundation (CUF), for their financial support!

Participants’ feedback:

Inna Voloshyna: “I was unable to attend the certification event last Friday, but I thank Khrystyna Kipryanova, Iryna Sukhova and Natalia Podolyak, who trained the trainers of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program last autumn. The program is great because the theory is filtered through many years of experience, and therefore it is voluminous and multifaceted.”

Natalia Matviyuk: “Thank you for teaching us! I wish you health, success, inspiration, and most importantly, a soon Victory for all of us! Together we are STRONG!”

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