Within the framework of the Erasmus+ KA220-ADU “TRUST” project, which is now being implemented at the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” in partnership with European institutions, another powerful art therapy session recently took place. This time, the focus was not only on supporting participants in their search for inner balance but also on providing them with tools for deeper self-understanding by transforming pain into art, and art into a path to healing.
The event was facilitated by Olena Kryvenko, a practical psychologist at Poltava Polytechnic and an assistant at the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy, and Maryna Teslenko, PhD in Pedagogical Sciences, associate professor at the same department.
The meeting began with a vital discussion – a psychoeducational talk on the nature of stress. Participants learned about the origins of stress, its impact on the human body and mind, and, most importantly, how to manage it effectively. The information was presented in an accessible and engaging format, serving as a “bridge of understanding” that helped each participant recognise and accept their emotional states without judgment.
The core of the session was a deep and meaningful art therapy activity called “Draw Your Volcano”. It offered a wordless outlet for emotions that had accumulated inside – anxiety, anger, resentment, exhaustion. Every brushstroke and splash of paint became a voice for inner experiences too difficult to articulate. It was a visual expression of pain on paper.
But this was only the beginning. The next stage – “Transform Your Pain Into Something Beautiful” – marked a turning point. Here, participants were invited to shift their perspective and view pain not as a burden, but as a source of inner strength. From these volcanoes emerged metaphorical fields of flowers, trees of resilience, rays of hope, and sparks of inspiration. Acknowledged and externalised, pain gave way to the image of healing.
At the close of the session, each participant received a symbolic “hand of support” – a sheet of paper with empowering affirmations such as:
“All storms eventually pass”.
“Your exhaustion does not make you weak”.
“Caring for yourself is not selfish – it is maturity”.
These phrases echoed the shared experience born within a safe circle of trust.
The organisers note that this event once again confirmed a profound truth: art is not merely a form of expression – it is the language of the soul when words fall silent. It allows us to see our inner landscape, to face our pain, to give it shape, and through that, to transform it.
The participants walked a powerful path – from the image of pain to the image of hope. And this journey became possible through art, a supportive community, and a safe space where it is okay to be. Because where there is support, there is always healing.
This session marked another meaningful step in the implementation of the Erasmus+ KA220-ADU TRUST project – 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 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).
Additionally, Poltava Polytechnic is currently conducting a series of art therapy sessions as part of the TRUST project. These sessions have 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”.
Media Centre of
National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”
