Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center continues training crisis psychologists – the 4th training stage starts in Kyiv

Today, on March 23, the 4th training module started for 250 psychologists, who will work with children and families from Donbas. In April the 4th module will start for the groups that are trained in Mariupol. The subject of the module is: "Group activity with children and teenagers, using art therapy". The classes are held by Alexander Venger, a well-known child psychologist, who worked in many hot spots of the world. 

Art therapy is one of the most effective methods of dealing with consequences of psychological trauma of children, teenagers and adults. Art therapy is using figurative and graphic arts for therapeutic purposes: drawing, modelling, and applications. For a child drawing is a powerful influence on the emotional stress, caused by certain object or event. 

Different art therapy techniques that will be applied by psychologists in their work with Donbas civilians will help children and adults to cope with these goals:

• recovery of activity;
• recovery of disturbed self-control functions;
• reduction of emotional stress, overcoming anxiety, fear and other negative emotions and emotional states;
• increasing self-esteem and self-confidence;
• working out the vision of future;
• overcoming communication problems, restoring broken family contacts.

"The special feature of the fourth module is that psychologists are having art therapy during the training course too: they are drawing and modelling under the guidance of their coach, learning to diagnose and analyse a psychological problem, and help to cope with it. Also Alexander Venger chooses assistants from his training participants, who are giving different classes with him, and this practice helps them to master techniques and gain valuable experience", - Anastasia Koberskaya, Coordinator of Crisis Psychologists Training Project at Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center.

It bears reminding that the Trauma of War project of Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center, aimed at crisis psychologists training, started in November 2014. For this matter they selected 250 best specialists from Ukraine, who have a diploma of psychologist. The training is free. The trainers' work is paid by the Humanitarian Center. For today this is the only project in Ukraine, aimed at training the specialists who work with war trauma, and recovering psychological state of IDPs from Donbas and residents of ATO area. This project is unique not only due to its large scale, but also selection of trainers and the specialists who are trained and have already started working with people in ATO area and on government-controlled territory.