«Preservation of Mental Health in the Realities of War. Working with Internally Displaced Persons»

Ist International Conference “Preservation of Mental Health in the Realities of War. Working with Internally Displaced Persons” took place on April 26, 2024, at the Ukrainian Civil Society Hub. The event brought together mental health professionals, representatives of civil society organizations, and volunteers working with internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine and abroad. The conference aimed to facilitate knowledge exchange and practical experience to enhance the quality of mental health support.

The organizers included Ukrainian Voices RC, UNHCR, SHOC, Kaivalya Empowerment Hub, and other experts in psychotherapy, crisis counseling, and social work, with participants from Belgium and Ukraine. The conference was grounded in principles of equality, solidarity, and mutual respect, creating a safe space for dialogue and professional exchange.

The program featured panel discussions and key topics, including:

• Psychological rehabilitation of veterans and their families,
• Diagnosis and therapeutic approaches to anxiety and depressive disorders,
• Work with PTSD, and
• Body-oriented methods to assist refugees.

Additionally, volunteers shared their experiences supporting Ukrainian refugees in Belgium between 2022 and 2024, discussing challenges, methods, and successful solutions.

The conference served as a vital platform for discussing comprehensive mental health support during wartime, strengthening professional connections, and opening new opportunities for collaboration in the mental health sector for displaced persons.

Speakers:

1. Greetings from the conference organizers to the visitors and speakers. President of UV-RC Alina Kokhanko, Art Director of Ukrainian Civil Society Hub – Anna Harbuz. Greetings from representatives of the Brussels Mental Health Platform – VIVALIS. Greetings and overview of the mental health preservation program from the Office of the First Lady
2. Presentation by speaker Khrystyna Kurganska on “Psychological support for soldiers, veterans, and their families.”.
3. Presentation by speaker Marianna Vladyslavivna Markova, Professor, Head of the Department of Sexology, Psychotherapy, and Medical Psychology at Kharkiv National Medical University, on: “Anxiety-depressive disorders in forced migrants: features of the clinic and therapeutic approaches.”
4. Presentation by speaker Viktoriia Tuhasheva, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist at Solentra vzw (Belgium), on “Tools of psychological assistance for internally displaced persons: Diagnosis, stress coping model, PTSD work.”  
5. Presentation by speaker Nataliia Poliakova, psychologist, psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapist, crisis counseling specialist, certified specialist (according to EKPP standards) in psychosomatic disorders, on “Children’s perspectives and reactions to deterioration or change in intra-family relations, parental separation, living apart, etc.”
6. Presentation by speaker Iana Kryvorotko phD, psychotherapist, perinatal psychologist, volunteer, on “Dynamics of psycho-emotional changes in Ukrainians during wartime.”
7. Presentation by speaker Nataliia Yakovenko, gestalt therapist, organizational gestalt therapist, gestalt approach trainer, certified according to EAGT standards (European Association for Gestalt Therapy), on “Professional for professionals – mental support in times of war: Challenges and creation of new effective forms.”
8. Presentation by speaker Anna Harbuz, President Kaivalya Empowerment Hub, on ” Embodied Healing: The Role of Body-Oriented Approaches in working with Refugees”