Recently, our charitable foundation joined a wonderful initiative launched by our colleague from Dunaivtsi, Raisa Popiuk, a psychologist, public figure, and project manager of the «Families of Heroes» project. The initiative aims to give the families of heroes positive emotions in these difficult times.
Who can better tell about the initiative than its author? So here is Ms. Raisa’s direct speech:
“War leaves a deep mark on the life of every person who experiences it. Children and teenagers are especially vulnerable, so they need more attention. That is why psychological support classes are an extremely important step towards healing and restoring psychological well-being.
On the basis of Public School Library in Dunaivtsi ( in the newly created social space «Anthill» Community Center) during November and December months, was held a course of group classes under the program “Children and War. Teaching healing techniques”.
Classes with psychologists were held within the framework of the «SOS-Psychology» project, which is being implemented by the «SOS Civil Defense Headquarters» Charitable Foundation in Khmelnytsky oblast with the support of the USAID «Building a Resilient Public Health System» project.
The participants were children and parents from families directly affected by the war and living in difficult life circumstances. The classes were held in two groups – children and adults. At the end of the program, the participants had a joint tea party, which further united them, gave them a sense of calm and filled them with hope.
The program’s trainers, Tetyana Kharkova and Zhanna Melnyk, helped children and adults overcome the traumatic effects of the war. Participants learned practical psychological self-help techniques, including methods of stabilization, anxiety reduction, and prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These techniques have already shown their effectiveness: they help children reduce stress, improve sleep, and reduce anxiety, which is critical for adaptation in war. The training included practicing techniques for dealing with traumatic memory and managing emotions, which helps to strengthen the psychological resilience of both children and adults.
Despite the seriousness of the goals, the training was actually held in an interesting creative format, following the group rules, which were drawn up by the participants themselves, as well as using games, art therapy techniques, solving logical problems and interesting tasks.
After the training, our trainers received good feedback on their work. For example, the following:
– “It was a good opportunity for frank communication.
– We learned to control our emotions.
– The training on overcoming fear was very useful.
– The training was interesting».
This series of classes has been successfully completed. But the «SOS-Psychology» project continues. It is possible to organize the next group classes, and you can also apply for individual consultations if necessary.”
To request free psycho-emotional support groups for children from educational institutions, please call: 0673844344.
The «SOS-Psychology» project activities are implemented with the support of the USAID «Building a Resilient Public Health System» project.
