A series of art therapy sessions aimed at providing emotional support to students, educators, and internally displaced persons affected by the consequences of war continues at the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”.
These art therapy events are more than just creative meetings – they have become vital spaces for emotional healing, the search for meaning, and a sense of belonging. In times of anxiety and uncertainty, such initiatives offer young people a chance to regain inner balance, tap into their personal resources, and feel that they are not alone.
The latest session, held on June 18, 2025, was open to all and moderated by Dr. Viktoriia Shevchuk, Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy. The session aimed to create a safe space for youth to freely express emotions, reduce stress, and build self-regulation skills. Art therapy enables individuals to process inner experiences without words – through colors, shapes, images, and symbols created during artistic activity.
One of the most emotionally resonant and therapeutic exercises was the clay modelling activity titled “A Safe Place”. Participants were invited to imagine a space where they would feel protected, calm, and confident – and then shape that space using modelling clay. Students created rooms, forest clearings, and fantastical houses – whatever embodied safety and peace for them. Afterward, they shared their emotions and the symbolism behind their creations. This exercise helped visualize inner sources of strength and allowed participants to identify their own emotional needs and support points.
Another meaningful exercise was “The Baggage of Happiness”. Students were asked to imagine an internal suitcase containing the memories, items, and values that bring them joy and fulfillment. They reflected on what is already in this “baggage”, what they would like to keep, and what they are ready to let go of. Each participant then created a visual representation of their “baggage of happiness” – a symbol of personal support and the internal resources they can return to during difficult times.
This session was part of a broader series of art therapy practices within the international large-scale EU-funded Erasmus+ KA220-ADU project “TRUST” – Trauma of refugees in Europe: An approach through art therapy as a solidarity program for Ukraine war victims (Grant No. 2024-BE01-KA220-ADU-000257527).
The project title is decoded as follows:
TRUST
T – Trauma
R – Refugees
U – Ukraine
S – Solidarity
T – Therapy
The project is co-funded by the EU and led by the Centre Neuro Psychiatrique St-Martin from Belgium, in partnership with the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” (Ukraine), Greek Carers Network EPIONI (Greece), Fondazione Don Luigi Di Liegro (Italy), Lekama Foundation (Luxembourg), EuroPlural Project (Portugal).
This international collaboration creates new opportunities to adapt best practices of art therapy into higher education and social support systems for youth who have experienced loss, evacuation, or war-related trauma.
Within the TRUST project, a number of psychotherapeutic initiatives have already shown a positive impact on the mental well-being of participants – many of whom faced displacement, separation from loved ones, prolonged stress, and anxiety. Art therapy has helped reduce emotional tension, build safe channels for emotional expression, and restore the sense of connection with oneself and the world.
The TRUST project continues and promises more in-depth practices, new methods, and – most importantly – ongoing support, which is critically needed by Ukrainians today, as everyone continues to feel the impact of the war in one way or another.
The previous sessions included symbolic activities such as designing personal coats of arms to represent inner values, sources of strength and hope; associative drawing exercises; the “Relationships” activity aimed at reflecting on personal connections with loved ones, community, and country; discussions around “What does mental health mean to me?”; neurographic drawing; and immersion in body-oriented therapy where movement, dance, and physical expression become key tools for emotional release and recovery, worked with metaphorical associative cards, practiced associative reflection of thoughts on paper and explored the symbolism of the elements of nature and their direct impact on the human psyche and emotional state, plunged into music and daram therapy and took part in a unique art therapy session on neurography titled “My Tree of Life”, worked with metaphorical cards and the Nossrat Pezeshkian psychotherapeutic model, сreated drawings depicting a personal “Tree of Power”, did the art therapy exercise “My superpower”, were given tools for deeper self-understanding by transforming pain into art, and art into a path to healing; helped children recognise and understand their emotions, learn self-soothing techniques, and restore their emotional resilience, helped adult IDPs gain a deep understanding of their emotions, release internal tension, and harmonise their psycho-emotional state.
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National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”
