The war in Ukraine has left deep wounds – also in the hearts of the people. Millions have been forced to flee, countless have witnessed inconceivable violence. The Ukrainian Ministry of Health estimates that almost half of the population is suffering from the psychological effects of the war. However, to meet this immense need for psychological support, there is a far greater need for trauma therapists than is currently available.
This is where a cooperation project between KOLPING Ukraine and the Wings of Hope Foundation in Germany comes in: since the end of 2023, they have been working together to train 30 specialists from all over Ukraine in the field of psychotraumatology. The two-year further training programme in eight modules provides participants with basic knowledge about trauma – how it arises, how it impacts people and how those affected can be supported. The aim of this qualification is to create new psychosocial services for refugees, children and young people, senior citizens and people with disabilities, particularly in the country’s Kolping institutions.
Recognising and overcoming trauma
The project has now reached the halfway point. Much of what the participants have learned in the training over the past year is already being incorporated into their daily work. And their experiences clearly show how important this is. ‘Many Ukrainians, including those in the non-contested areas in the west, are directly affected by the war both professionally and privately,’ says Vasyl Savka, the Managing Director of KOLPING Ukraine. “Over 1,000 days of violence and threats, flight, fear and loss has done a lot to people.” A participating speech therapist reports, for example, that many children she works with experience fear and stress and start to stutter. Many adults also develop depression or become silent. As a speech therapist, she would like to learn through further training how she can talk to traumatised people and support them in finding their own language. Another participant talks about his work with soldiers who, after returning from the front, have difficulty feeling emotions. ‘They had to learn to shut them out. But that also shuts out pleasant emotions. It’s a great good fortune to be able to feel and express emotions. Many cannot.’
Hope in the Midst of War
The 30 participants in the seminar have made it their mission to help such people to allow their feelings, to give them words, to process them. And after a year of further training, they feel increasingly prepared to do so. “The training has strengthened me, I have become more self-confident”, says one participant. Another adds: “I have regained some hope and trust in the world.” Until the end of the war and especially afterwards, there will still be a great many traumas to be overcome in Ukraine. Each individual supported person will be a step towards healing – for those affected and for society as a whole.
