‘It is very difficult to combine life, work, and survival’

Could you tell me a little about yourself – your background as a psychologist and how you came to be president of the National Psychological Association of Ukraine?

In 2017-2020, I was a Treasurer of the NPA. I became president in 2020. Then, I was 33-years-old. A woman too young to become president – some of my colleagues said. Every day, I fight this stereotype, and last year I entered the second term of my presidency.

In 2020 I had my own developing strategy. I wanted to continue moving towards achieving our strategic goals (developing MH legislation, delivering the best standards in psychology) and working on my favourite topic of climate, but it seems that the universe had its own plans — Covid-19 and then a full-scale Russian invasion. 

I hold a PhD in clinical psychology from KNU Shevchenko. I have extensive experience in teaching, private consulting, development of psychodiagnostic tests, organising test procedures, and managing international teams in mental health. In 2022, the American Psychological Association awarded me the Presidential Citation for her pioneering national leadership. Currently, I work as an Academic Director of the Kyiv School of Economics (BA and MA programs in psychology). 

What was the NPA's initial response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?

The first days were very difficult; many colleagues fled their homes, searching for a safe place, and some immediately fell into the occupation. My family and I stayed in Kyiv. In those days, it was challenging to establish stable work because people were worried about saving their own lives. But we brought together those who could work in relatively stable conditions and started.

Our first priority was organising support for colleagues. Many of them provided volunteer support and worked with crises, so we sought opportunities to conduct free training in crisis psychology, trauma therapy, and supervision organisation. Advocacy of Ukrainian interests in international communities was also an essential area of ​​work. So, we requested to exclude the Russian Psychological Society from the European Federation of Psychologists' Associations (EFPA) because of their evident work for the Russian criminal government. We are glad our European colleagues considered our request and stopped cooperating with this association.

Since the pandemic, we have had a volunteer initiative to help those suffering from Covid-19. Anyone could contact the NPA and receive 3-5 crisis consultations. Thus, we provided support to about 1,000 citizens. However, this initiative needed to be stronger: volunteers often changed, and working with them was not always convenient. In addition, after February 2022, it became obvious that help was needed. It should be significant, long-term, and permanent. So, we thought about how it could be implemented and started looking for financing.

In June 2022, we started work; at first, it was only a number in Ukraine, then numbers in other countries were added. Now, we work in Ukraine and 21 countries. Since its inception, we have provided more than 6,200 consultations. Our team consists of 15 crisis psychologists with appropriate education, three of whom are administrators who take calls. Since May, two psychiatrists have been added to our team because a large number of requests are medical. Specialists undergo group supervision twice a week.

Financially, we work with the help of the United Nations Development Programme. We have technical support from Deloitte and Amazon. The companies developed a convenient and unique platform for us, which allows you to receive audio and video calls, send SMS with information, evaluate the consultation quality, etc.

Could you tell me about the Special Working Group you developed to provide extra training for psychologists in Ukraine?

At the beginning of the full-scale war, our working group consisted of four people; now, it has been transformed, and it has two people responsible for training. My wonderful colleagues Kate and Alina look for trainers, conduct all accompanying communication with them, inform Ukrainian colleagues about events, conduct them, and organise translations. These two young ladies are doing an incredible job. Ukrainian psychologists are, without exaggeration, grateful to them.

Our most relevant training topics are crisis interventions, trauma therapy, and support for military personnel and their families, children, and other vulnerable groups. If someone wants to contribute, they may contact them at [email protected]. 

Could you share some of your reflections on the challenges of working to support others during this war while also coping with the impacts yourself?

From my experience, I will say that it is very difficult to combine life, work, and survival. This war is exhausting; I feel it myself. A lot of work, projects, ideas – everything requires immediate implementation. More fatigue, exhaustion, and irritation. What keeps me going? My psychologist, work-life balance, understanding that we do essential things. I gave birth to a daughter in June. My Nadiia also (means Hope) gives me hope for our peaceful future with victory and incredible inner resources.

Is there any way psychologists in other countries can support the work of the NPA?

Of course, from the first days, we received many letters from all over the world. Some sent us supportive words, someone offered themselves as a consultant or supervisor, and someone conducted training with us. There are colleagues who helped financially – we use this money to organise events and translations. The American and Lithuanian associations and the association of psychologists from Luxembourg made significant contributions to the development of the line or our other initiatives. EFPA is our great partner, and they help us with training and information dissemination. Colleagues were able to join forces, and the Ukrainian delegation visited Brighton thanks to the sponsorship of colleagues from Portugal, Austria, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Norway. I am very afraid of forgetting someone because so much has happened during this time, and we have discovered many new friends. It makes us stronger and makes our victory closer.