This story is about how support helps not only individuals, but entire families. Thanks to timely assistance, the family was able to move from confusion and fear to trust, closeness, and hope. In difficult times, this kind of support helps restore the feeling that home is not just walls, but above all the connection between those who are close at heart
The project’s specialists were approached by a family of internally displaced persons who had endured significant hardship. Their apartment was destroyed by russian forces, and the family was forced to start over: searching for housing in winter, finding work, rebuilding everyday life, and gradually establishing a new reality.
The father of the family had served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine but was forced to return to civilian life due to health reasons. This transition was accompanied by emotional strain, anxiety, and a sense of loss of his familiar way of life. The mother, on the contrary, made the decision to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which became an additional source of stress for the entire family, especially for the child.
Work with the family began with individual consultations with the father and mother and later evolved into regular joint psychological sessions with the father and daughter.
During individual consultations, the father had a safe space to talk through his service experience, emotions related to his health condition, and inner feelings about the change in his role within the family. Gradually, his level of anxiety decreased, he gained a better understanding of his own emotions and resources, and developed greater readiness for more open communication with his daughter.
Individual work with the mother focused on reducing emotional exhaustion and processing feelings of guilt related to the forced separation from her child. The consultations helped stabilize her emotional state, strengthen inner resilience, and find ways to maintain emotional connection with her family even at a distance. After more than two months of work, the mother continues to stay in touch with the psychologist and openly shares her emotional state and daily experiences.
Joint sessions with the father and daughter played an important role. In a safe space, the child was able to express her fears and worries related to the war, displacement, and her mother’s absence. The father learned to better recognize his daughter’s emotional needs, support her, and build a trusting connection.
Over time, mutual understanding between them strengthened, signs of emotional tension decreased, and the child became more open and calmer
Thanks to systematic psychological support, the family gradually restored a sense of stability and safety. Internal family communication improved, and each family member gained tools to cope with stress and adapt to new life circumstances
This story is an example of how timely and comprehensive psychological support can help a family restore its internal resources even in the difficult conditions of war
📌 The project “Ensuring access to social and rehabilitation services in the Zmiiv and Malynivka communities of Chuhuiv district, Kharkiv region, for the population affected by the war,” implemented by Unity Platform NGO with the support of UNDP in Ukraine within the project “Supporting Inclusive Recovery to Ensure the Resilience and Security of People in Ukraine,” with financial support from the Government of Japan.
