Розширення можливостей громадянського суспільства для ненасильницької трансформації конфліктів за участю державних суб’єктів
In July, the psychological support team of the EAST SOS Charity Foundation conducted 13 events for 126 participants in hromadas of Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Lviv oblasts.
Every session offered more than immediate support, it also gave people self-care tools for the long run, helping them better understand their reactions, manage stress and difficult emotions, and find understanding with others.
In the cities of Truskavets and Stebnyk, Lviv Oblast, psychologist Iryna Kostenko conducted four support groups based on the topics of the “I Can” manual. Educators, activists, and civil servants joined the sessions. First and foremost, it was a space where participants could take a breath and talk through what was troubling them in order to better understand their own state. The exercises from the manual then helped participants master simple ways to cope with stress and respond more calmly in conflict situations.
In the city of Vyshneve, Marina Danyliuk, Manager of the Psychological Support Department of the EAST SOS Charity Foundation, combined support groups with art therapy sessions. During the meetings, creative activities helped participants slow down a bit and shift their attention from daily worries to their own emotional state.
During the two-day training “Basic Understanding of Psychological Trauma” in the city of Nizhyn, psychologist Anastasiia Martynenko helped participants understand the difference between stress and psychological trauma and learn simple body-based self-regulation techniques.
“For me, it was all new to experience how simple things, like breathing, relaxation, and paying attention to the body can change our state. When you better notice what is happening with your body, it becomes easier to stop, calm down, and not carry this tension further,” shared one of the participants of the training.
In Chernihiv, psychologist Iryna Baranova conducted two two-day modules of the course “Understanding Yourself, Understanding Others: Supportive Communication and Dialogue Practices Based on the Non-Violent Approach.” Participants learned not only how to speak but also how to truly hear one another – noticing their own reactions, not responding immediately out of emotions, and seeking understanding where conversations could previously turn into conflict.
“At the beginning, women and men often reacted in the way they were used to: they immediately gave advice, made judgments, or tried to convince others. Gradually, a pause appeared: first to hear the other person, try to understand them, and only then respond. For me, this is one of the most important changes that we managed to strengthen during the training,” shared trainer Iryna.
In July, the team also launched a new format – support groups for processing grief. In Vyshneve, psychologist Viktoriia Preobrazhenska conducted four meetings that brought together women who had lost their loved ones due to the war. Here, each participant could talk about her loss for as long as she was ready, or simply listen and remain part of the community.
War leaves a mark on everyone’s life, and each person finds their own way of coping with what they have experienced. The EAST SOS Charity Foundation continues to create spaces for support, provide professional psychological assistance, and share tools that help people gradually recover and become a source of support for themselves and those around them.
📌 The activities were implemented within the project “Empowering Civil Society for Non-Violent Conflict Transformation with the Participation of State Actors” with financial support from KURVE Wustrow.
The results of the project implemented by the EAST SOS Charity Foundation with the support of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe are presented in this article.
