Starting the all-Ukrainian Psychologist Day Right!

On the all-Ukrainian Psychologist Day, April 23, the second part of the training course on psychological support for people suffered from war commenced. Over four days, participants immersed themselves in the topics of first psychological aid and crisis intervention.

The first day of the training was dedicated to studying the role of first psychological aid in the mental health and psychosocial support system. Participants discussed how psychologists should respond to crisis events and what factors affect a person's resilience. These discussions helped participants realize the importance of the PFA and expand their knowledge in this area.

On the second day of the training, participants engaged in a role-playing game called "Help People Calm Down". This game created a situation close to a real crisis and facilitated the practical application of acquired knowledge, helping participants learn to implement necessary methods and techniques. Participants emphasized the importance of active listening as an effective way to support people in crisis states and the need to respect a person's wishes, providing support in any way that is most ecological for them.

Participants also actively worked on understanding and managing stress states that may arise in people affected by military actions. They explored reactions that could occur in the affected, such as apathy, nervous trembling, stupor, motor excitement, hysteria, fear, crying, aggression, and delirium.

Quickly yet intensively, the time came for trainers and participants to summarize and share impressions. This year, considering the wishes of participants from past trainings, a decision was made to create a third part of the course, which would allow for a deeper understanding of the processes of crisis intervention.

The event was held in the frames of the "Peace Building and Conflict Resolution in Ukraine – Step Forward" project, implemented with the support of the German Federal Foreign Office’s funds by IFA (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen), Funding programme zivik.