Psychologists of Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center release an anti-stress colouring book

Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center developed an anti-stress colouring book for children and their parents as part of "Psychological assistance for children" program. According the Humanitarian Center's specialists, this book can help our youngest citizens to overcome their fears, stress and anxiety, caused by war trauma, without psychologists being involved. The Humanitarian Center's Coordinator, Rimma Fil, explained the importance of psychological assistance these days during the briefing at "Ukrainski Novyny" Information Agency.

"Psychological assistance for children" is one of the long-term focus areas of the Humanitarian Center, as the number of people with war trauma keeps on growing. And rehabilitation of Donbas children is essential. This is well understood in Psychological service of Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center, which has already helped 25,500 children and their parents during the year of its operation.

What is being done by the Humanitarian Center's psychologists that were trained at the "War trauma" course? They work in summer centres, camps and schools, kindergartens and hospitals. Besides, they participate in "Peaceful summer for Donbas children" program, which is aimed for health improvement of 2,800 children in Fakel summer camp on the coast of Azov Sea and children summer centres that were opened by Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center in Donetsk, Yenakiieve, Khartsyzk and Komsomolsk. The smile of every child is worth a lot in the war areas.

 "25,500 people were covered with attention and support of the Humanitarian Center, but there are tens of thousands of people who still need help. We understand the high demand in psychological assistance now, which is why our specialists are working hard on both sides of the contact line to find children, who require urgent psychological support. The psychologists' reports do not leave anyone indifferent. "Children of war" are in extremely difficult psychological condition, many of them say that they are afraid to live. Donbas children say these scary things that are inconsistent with childhood", – Rimma Fil shares.

The Humanitarian Center's psychologists are trying to take children out of stress through art therapy classes. Drawing is one of the most natural and important techniques of anti-stress work. That is why the Humanitarian Center produced the anti-stress colouring book for our youngest citizens as part of "Psychological assistance for children" program

"This applied colouring book is developed by psychologists from Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center based on techniques that are used in coping with war trauma. Unfortunately, children are the most affected category during the military actions. Psychological traumas may be haunting people for the rest of their lives. And the goal of the Humanitarian Center is to bring the children out of this condition – to give them smile, hope and peace", – Rimma Fil assures.

This book is recommended for all families, who experienced severe stress. According to the specialists, most of children's thinking involves using different characters. That is why children can identify story, which is described in the colouring book, with them, and therefore it may help them to cope with the stressful events of reality. And colouring the illustrations allows putting all their fears on the paper, and taking out their negative emotional stress.

"Our anti-stress colouring book will help children without psychologist, using only pencils in their everyday games they can "integrate" the goings-on without mentioning the scariest event - the war and change their attitude to it, it will be changing depending on the selected colour palette", – Anna Lukianchuk, the Coordinator of Humanitarian Center's Psychological service, says.

Starting from the 3rd of August the colouring book will be available in psychological centres of Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center, where anybody who wants it can get it absolutely free. Besides, today it will be presented on the website of Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center and can be downloaded and printed on your own. If your child needs such colouring book, please contact the Humanitarian Center's hotline: 0800 509 001.