“The Language of the Body: How Movement Communicates” – An Art Therapy Session at Poltava Polytechnic at the Intersection of Choreology and Psychology

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, many young people have faced a harsh reality: the loss of their homes, familiar surroundings, and a sense of safety. For adolescents in the formative period of identity development, this is a challenging and traumatic experience. Art therapy becomes a delicate and natural tool that helps one look inside themselves, express the unspoken, feel supported, and understand that they are not alone in their experiences.

It is a safe space where one can learn to trust again, find inner support, and sometimes regain lost meaning. Even after just a few art therapy sessions, participants demonstrate more openness, emotional courage, and inner resilience. They become more aware of their feelings, reduce anxiety levels, and discover new internal resources.

At the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, a series of profound art therapy sessions continues, aimed at providing psychological support to students during this challenging time for the country. Thus, on June 18, 2025, in one of the university’s shelters (due to an air raid alert), a special art therapy session titled “The Language of the Body: How Movement Communicates” took place. It combined psychological support, dance, choreography, and deep emotional work.

The event marked another stage in the implementation of 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).

The moderators of the session included: practical psychologist and assistant lecturer at the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy of Poltava Polytechnic, Olena Kryvenko; PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy, Viktoriia Shevchuk; Senior Lecturer of the Department of Choreography and Dance Sports, Vitalii Horhol; and Head of the same department – Honoured Worker of Culture of Ukraine, Distinguished Art Figure of Ukraine, Honoured Dance Sport Worker of Ukraine, Associate Professor Petro Horhol.

The session was developed at the intersection of science (psychology) and art, where the body was seen not only as an object of study but also as a source of knowledge, experience, and communication. The uniqueness of the meeting lay in its interdisciplinary approach: practical psychologists, researchers, and dance instructors offered a new perspective on the body as a key instrument in dealing with psychological trauma, healing, and internal self-expression.

The full-scale war has become a traumatic experience for millions of Ukrainians. Young people, in particular, have felt its impact acutely, standing at the crossroads of adulthood and social formation. The loss of home, separation from loved ones, displacement, and the constant feeling of danger leave a deep emotional imprint that often cannot be verbalised. This is where art therapy comes into play, allowing individuals to “speak” not with words but through images, colours, movement, and gestures. In this context, choreology – the science of movement meaning – serves not merely as an artistic approach, but also as a tool for psycho-emotional healing.

During the session, participants learned that up to 80% of our communication is non-verbal: the body speaks even when the mind is silent. Exercises involving pantomime, improvisation, and paired movement helped participants realise how accumulated emotions manifest in the body as muscular blocks – the so-called “muscular armour”. Yet through movement, these blocks can be released. Dance practices allowed participants to recognise and process their emotions, to feel supported by their partners through movement synchronisation, and to activate empathy mechanisms via mirror neuron resonance. These are not just exercises – this is a safe space where one is allowed to feel, to touch what lies deep inside, and to be heard even without words.

The session also included the “Show the Emotion” exercise, where each participant could physically embody fear, anger, joy, or confusion. By becoming aware of where these emotions were “located” in their bodies, they gained insights into what exactly they were feeling, where the pain was, and how they might work through it. This experience became a valuable tool for self-discovery, which the participants can continue to draw on in the future.

The initiative proves that dance is not only about aesthetics. It is the language of the soul. It is a method of overcoming trauma. It is a return to oneself.

The event took place in a warm and trusting atmosphere of openness and trust. The synergy between psychological and choreographic approaches allowed not only the creation of a unique art therapy space but also the development of innovative practices that can be integrated into the educational process and youth psychosocial support programs.

Upcoming sessions within the TRUST project promise even more discoveries, new techniques, and compassionate engagement. After all, it is through art that we learn to trust again, to feel again, to live again. And to restore ourselves, step by step, movement by movement.

As part of this project, a series of psychotherapy activities have already been conducted, which have had a visibly positive effect on the mental health of participants who have experienced the loss of home, separation from loved ones, prolonged stress, and anxiety. Art therapy has helped reduce emotional tension, taught participants to recognise and safely express their emotions, and enabled them to reconnect with themselves and the world.

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.

 

Media Centre of

National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”