On November 14, “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy courses started at Valeriy Dotsenko school #5 in Myrnohrad, Donetsk Oblast. The sessions are held in 2 groups for fifth grade students. Hanna Bondareva and Yulia Dobrodieieva, specialists of the school social and psychological service who have been recently trained in the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program work with children.

“At the first session, the participants from our 5-A, 5-B and 5-C classes got to know each other, got acquainted with the program of upcoming sessions, set themselves up for work, and defined the rules that they will follow during the meetings,” wrote Olha Cherkashyna, principal of Valeriy Dotsenko School #5, on the school’s Facebook page. – “The children remembered well the team-building games. A friendly atmosphere that encourages cooperation, mutual support, a shoulder to lean on, an “open” dialogue – all this will help the trainers and the groups achieve their goals within the program.”

The therapy sessions are held with the support of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project partner, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.

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On November 13-17, psychologists and trainers of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project Natalia Podolyak and Olena Bozhor conducted “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” online training. 40 participants learned in theory and practice self-help techniques that are very relevant and useful in the face of stress, pain and loss during the war in Ukraine. All participants were interested, competent, motivated and willing to work for Ukraine. We wish each of them success and good results in their work!

The training was held with support of The Salvation Army organization! We sincerely thank our partner!

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In October 2023, the authors of the program “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program and members of the “Children and War” Foundation held a supervisory meeting for the team members of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project.
The meeting was attended by: William Yule, author and co-founder of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program, professor at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, Laura Tomlinson (Timms), clinical psychologist and trainer at the “Children and War” Foundation, and Melinda Edwards, international trainer of the “Children and Grief: Learning Life Skills” project.

The participants discussed the Ukrainian experience of using the “Children and War” program and the rehabilitation of children with war trauma. They also talked about the introduction of a new methodology – the “Children and Grief: Learning Life Skills” program, which is aimed at processing the loss of a loved/close one. Today, this is a very relevant topic that causes a lot of pain and a strong response from children (group participants).

As noted by the trainers from Ukraine present at the meeting, despite the difficulties and tears, children are interested in this topic and are happy to learn the skills of healthy “proper” grieving during the sessions. Thus they receive support and significant emotional relief. The project team is sincerely grateful to their British colleagues who are carefully studying the Ukrainian experience to improve the psychological assistance tools they share.

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The “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” training took place on October 25-27 in Poltava within the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project. The training was conducted by project psychologists Iryna Sukhova and Tetiana Oboyanska. “The 21 participants are teachers and students of the Poltava National V.H. Korolenko Pedagogical University” says Iryna. – “It was in the premises of this university that we conducted the training. The traditions of the Ukrainian people were all around us, the spirit of the invincible Cossacks, the atmosphere of the most beautiful and cheerful girls. Together we studied, played, and enjoyed the resources and live communication. And at the end of the training, the participants sang the song “Chervona Ruta” as a sign of gratitude. It was incredibly inspiring! It is also very important that children in the Poltava region will now receive access to recovery techniques.”

The training was made possible thanks to the financial support of our partner, the Canada Ukraine Foundation.

Feedback from the participants.

Valentyna Berezan: “10 out of 10. Professional, comfortable, informative. Many thanks to the trainers for productive training, and to “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” for the incredible “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project and the opportunity to participate”.

Natalia Sulaieva: “10 out of 10. Highly professional trainers made my mind work, my heart flutter with joy, my soul sing. I hope that the outcomes of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program will be high, the group participants will be happy, and Ukraine will be peaceful! Thank you very much!”

Olga Palekha: “Very informative training, which maintains a perfect balance between theoretical knowledge and practice-oriented techniques. Special thanks to the trainers for their high professionalism, patience and attention to everyone.”

Lilia Kononenko: “In professional terms, the training is invaluable. Thank you for your honorable and useful work. I even received something that I did not intend to get – not even the key to the problems, but the principle by which to find these keys! Thank you!”

Tetiana Dziuba: “I thank the trainers for their wonderful, creative and professional work. I felt an open space, the depth of the techniques that were performed during the work. The desire to implement and share this program with children and their parents.”

Inna Baranets: “I can give the training 100 points on a ten-point scale. In today’s fast-paced world, participation in the training is like a breath of fresh air! It is extremely important to learn, know and be able to help yourself and others. Thank you for these three days! I want more!”

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Sofia is 11 years old. She is an internally displaced person from the city of Kramatorsk, Donetsk region. At the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions the girl was sociable, easily joined the group, performed all the tasks with interest, and most of all she liked to draw. She commented on some of her drawings, saying that she missed her room and her friends with whom she loved to play on the playground in Kramatorsk.

The trainers noticed that in most of her drawings, the girl drew a military figure, which seemed to be further away from all the others. When asked who it was, Sofia began to cry and through her tears she told them about her father. One of the trainers suggested that she move a little further away from the group to talk and calm down, but the girl refused. She said that it was very difficult for her, but she wanted to speak in front of the group because she was holding it back at home and not crying not to upset her mother.

It turned out that Sofia’s father went to war at the beginning. Sometimes he doesn’t call for several weeks, which makes her mother cry at night, and she, Sofia, thinks her father is dead. It also happens that when her father calls, she hears the sounds of explosions in the phone, and it scares her a lot. Sofia remembers the day her father was sent off to war and she is very worried that it could be their last meeting.

When she drew her traumatic memory, she depicted a large figure of her father, and everything around him was completely hostile: black clouds in the sky, explosions along the road. For a long time, Sofia cried and could not think of a way to transform her drawing. The group members suggested that she tries to remember what she liked to do with her father and draws it. Since she loved watching the fireworks that her father used to launch into the sky on her birthday and New Year’s Eve, she decided to turn the clouds and explosions in the drawing into fireworks. She said that it was her father coming home after a victory, and the fireworks symbolized the same celebration that her father used to arrange for her.

Photos are provided by the trainers of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project Natalia Hrebinna and Zinaida Horyachkivska who conducted “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy groups in the summer of 2023. Therapy sessions were held in Topoli village, Khashchuvate village, including the Khashchuvate Lyceum of the Haivoron community, and Moshchene village, in Holovaniv district of Kirovohrad region. We are grateful for the financial support of our partner – the OutcomesX social outcomes marketplace and UBS Optimus Foundation.

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On October 11-13, in Lutsk, the team of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project organised a “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” training for practitioners in cooperation with the Volyn National Lesya Ukrainka University. The theory and practice of the program for 13 participants (school psychologists and social educators of the city and region) were taught by experienced trainers and psychologists of the project – Iryna Sukhova and Natalia Podolyak. On the first day of the training, the participants were greeted by the rector of the university, Anatoliy Tsios. He noted the importance of psychological assistance during the war and wished everyone success in their studies and future work.

We are sincerely grateful to our partner, the Canada Ukraine Foundation, for the financial support!

Feedback from the participants:

Inna Voloshyna: “Thank you for your professionalism, structured presentation of information, and friendly atmosphere. The training exceeded all my expectations. Three days of consistent information, a combination of theory, practice, and practical exercises. Special thanks for the game exercises that complemented the theory very well”.

Natalia Matviyuk: “A wonderful, informative, positive and useful training. It is relevant in times of war and universal for the psychologist’s practical work. I am sincerely grateful to the trainers and participants for the needed information and comfortable atmosphere. I leave the training with a full “backpack” of knowledge and easy-to-understand information. I hope for successful implementation of the acquired knowledge. Thank you!”

Liudmyla Andrusik: “Many thanks to the trainers for three days of interesting training. During these three days, I was enriched by interesting techniques, movements and new acquaintances in the group. I took away a lot of useful things for myself and worked through my fears and emotions. I wish everyone psychological health and emotional support. See you in December!”

Svitlana Kobzar: “Many thanks to the organizers and trainers for their work. I really liked the way the material was presented. It is a very good idea that the acquired skills and knowledge should be implemented right after the training, and not hidden in a secret closet and forgotten. The idea with the contract is very good – you can immediately see who needs the program and who is ready to work. Don’t be upset that there were fewer of us than planned. If the training helps only a few people, families, children, trainers, it is already a huge contribution to the wellbeing of Ukraine and the community.”

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On September 28-30, Kyiv hosted a “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” training for the practitioners. The training was conducted by experienced psychologists and trainers of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project – Iryna Sukhova, Natalia Podolyak, and Tetiana Oboyanska. 30 participants from Kyiv, as well as from Kyiv and Sumy regions, studied the war trauma, talked about the psychological consequences of this phenomenon, and gained important theoretical knowledge. They also practiced self-help exercises and techniques to overcome fears, pain, intrusive memories, losses, and many other problems that arise in children and adults who have faced war.

The event was held at the Institute of Social and Political Psychology of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine. We sincerely thank our partners for fruitful cooperation. Many thanks to the Canada Ukraine Foundation for the financial support of the project!

Feedback from the participants:

Oleksandr Lavrenko: “The training was very intense, with many useful techniques. I received positive emotions and feel a desire to use the knowledge and skills I have gained”.

Hanna Kosakivska: “I am very grateful for the training, for 3 days of thorough work. New interesting techniques, games, new acquaintances and the anticipation of thorough work during 7 therapy sessions with two groups. Such trainings are very relevant now, and I liked that everything is clearly organized: there are methods and techniques, tea (coffee) and support and guidance from the trainers for the entire project period”.

Halyna Salivon: “Very powerful and informative training. I’m taking many techniques to my toolbox. This will be a new experience in working with children, and it is so necessary at this moment. Thank you for the knowledge and new opportunities. Thanks to the new techniques, I worked through my fears. I really hope that I will be able to help children in the best way possible”.

Iryna Taran: “It was a pleasure to be here. I am very happy to master the healing and recovery skills that I will teach my children, my relatives, as well as children of the educational institution, and those who turn to the charity foundation in need of support and assistance”.

Lilia Bondarenko: “An intensive training, structured, informative, full of useful techniques, diluted with interesting games, wrapped in a warm blanket of care and attention from the trainers. I am grateful for your work, sincere thoughts and beautiful smiles. Also, thank you for organizing it.”

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Iryna Sukhova, leader and psychologist of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, EMDR psychotherapist, trauma therapist, trainer of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program, took part as a speaker in the “Child Care and Guarding in Times of War” international online conference, held by “OMNI-Netwirk Ukraine” charity foundation in cooperation with partners. The conference was held on September 12, 19, and 26, 2023 in the format of a series of three webinars, which discussed issues related to the care and guarding of children with special needs. The experts talked about the guardianship systems that exist in Ukraine and Poland, highlighted the issues of children’s behavior and correction measures, and also talked about the psycho-emotional state of children and parents who survived military actions.

Iryna presented the work of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project team, shared the 10-year experience of working with IDPs in different regions of Ukraine within the frames of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program. She spoke about the new challenges the project team has faced in 2022-2023 with the beginning of a full-scale war of rf against Ukraine. The head of the project also introduced the audience to some psychotechniques of trauma healing. Her report evoked a keen response from the conference participants, who asked a lot about cooperation and training opportunities within the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program. It was especially nice to receive support from several speakers of the event, who went through the training program in our project and actively use the acquired knowledge and techniques.

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During September 18-22, 2023 Nataliya Podolyak and Olena Bozhor, psychologists and trainers of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project held a 5-day “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” online training for 50 participants from Kharkiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhya, Kryvyi Rih, Chernihiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Myrhorod (Poltava region), Ostroh (Rivne region), Bucha (Kyiv region) and other cities of Ukraine. Ukrainians, who are temporarily living abroad in Romania and Germany have also participated in the training.

The trained specialists plan to conduct the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” group therapy sessions for children and parents in their own cities and villages where they live and work. We wish all new members of our project trainers’ team to master their professionalism, enjoy motivation and great outcomes of their work!

We are sincerely grateful to the “Salvation Army” for the support of our project!

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Kostya is 16 years old. He is from Berdyansk, Zaporizhzhia region, but since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, he moved with his family to Khmelnytskyi region. Kostia was the oldest among the participants of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy course. He listened to others attentively, but sayed silent. Maybe he thought he were already adult and should not have fears or difficult memories. At one of the sessions, where the participants talked about their dreams, the boy decided to share his story:

“We have lived in the occupation for several months, and then my parents have finally decided to go to their friends in Khmelnytskyi region. We didn’t know if we would make it there alive, but we collected all the things that fit in the trunk of the car, as well as water and food that we could get, and left. There were four of us: mom, dad, me and my younger brother. We went through various exhausting checks at the checkpoints; it took us almost two days. We slept in the car, ate in the car, sat in the car, because we were not allowed to go out. Sometimes we heard loud explosions and saw rockets and planes flying by. At that moment, our hearts were beating and then stopping… it was very scary. It was cold at night, and on the second day we ran out of water and food. My parents tried to calm us down, but mostly they drove in silence, everyone was worried and left with own thoughts…”

Kostya’s family managed to leave the occupation unharmed, but the memories from those events come every day. He said that he had never experienced anything more terrible in his life. During the day these memories came less often. And every night he dreamed that he was sitting in a car and could not get out. Sometimes these dreams were so real that Kostya screamed in his sleep, started to run away, beat his hands and feet on the bed. Then he would wake up, and for a long time he could not believe that it was only a dream, and it seemed to him that he was going crazy.

The trainers explained to the group members that such dreams appear when we experience very scary and painful situations that leave their mark. It is difficult both children and adults to cope with such dreams. There are exercises that can help normalize one’s internal state after waking up. Afterwards, the participants drew their dreams and practiced breathing exercises and did a relaxation exercise. When doing the “Safe Place” practice, Kostya imagined himself in his room in his hometown. After that he drew a large window in his room, from which trees and a clear peaceful sky can be seen. At the next session the boy noted that the memories of those events are becoming less painful for him. His dreams still continue, but it is easier for him to cope with the anxiety when he wakes up. He said that he will continue to use the techniques he has learned and believes that the nightmares will soon disappear altogether.

The photo shows “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions, conducted this summer by Svitlana Olfirenko and Kateryna Kapusta (Kryvyi Rih), the trainers of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project.

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