In 2016, the Charitable Fund "International Association for Support of Ukraine" launched the psycho-therapeutic project "Family Rehabilitation of Combatants." From 2016 to 2024, 22 stages of the project were held, with more than 1000 participants.

Since 2014, Ukraine has been resisting aggression from the Russian Federation, which began in February 2014 with the occupation of Crimea and continued as a hybrid war in Eastern Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation began at around 5 a.m. along the entire shared border with Ukraine and from Belarus and occupied Crimea.

More than a million people have defended their homeland from the aggressor over the years. Many returned from the war with injuries, concussions, and psychological trauma.

Family Rehabilitation

The goal of the "Family Rehabilitation of Combatants" project is to support veterans' families, their wives, and children. We know that once someone has experienced war, they are never the same. Everything changes: values, perceptions, habits, behavioral reactions, and physical and mental health. All veterans carry varying degrees of military trauma. The person who returns from war is not the same as the one who left. But their families, particularly their wives, do not know this. They expect that once the uniform is off and civilian clothes are on, their husband will be the same man he once was—earning money, organising vacations and playing with children. After all, they have all been waiting for their father and husband.

Wives do not understand the changes that have taken place in their husbands, and they themselves often change their roles in the family during the war. This leads to reproaches, arguments, violence, and, eventually, frequent divorces. Instead of care, gratitude, and love, veterans often receive "their own personal hell." The percentage of violence, divorces, and suicides among veterans is high. Having survived war, many struggle to survive in civilian life.

Our research throughout the project shows significant positive changes in participants' behavior, physical condition, and family relationships, which are crucial factors in veterans' resocialization and reintegration into civilian life.

Families that were in crisis, became strengthened after Family Rehabilitation, their marital and parent-child relationships got improved by a better understanding of each other's feelings and the developmental needs of children.

The main goals of our work with veterans' families are psychological support for spouses, psycho-education, development of emotional self-regulation skills, competent care for children, and psychological readiness to support veterans.

Family Rehabilitation

WHY THIS FAMILY REHABILITATION FORMAT?

The project's methodology, without exaggeration, is unique, combining several key elements that have proven most effective:

  1. Immersion in "another dimension" – this means staying among like-minded people in holiday locations, not quite at home yet, but in a safe space. In such a place, there is no need to worry about providing for the family or other household concerns, allowing the family to be together with their children. This concept is called "Safe People in a Safe Place." Meaning that. for two weeks, veteran families, along with their children, are in the circle of safe people — fellow veterans and like-minded individuals.
  2. The program is conducted with gentle guidance and correction by psychologists/psychotherapists who, in addition to their qualifications and experience, have undergone special training in post-military adaptation programs for veterans, such as the "Veteran Transition Program ‘I’ve Returned’" (Canada) and "COMBAT STRESS" (UK).
  3. The psychological part of the program is synchronized with a physiotherapy and wellness program, which together significantly improve the physical and psychological state of the participants.

The Family Rehabilitation program is a structured sequence of activities primarily aimed at:

  • Restoring mutual understanding, harmonizing spousal relationships, and optimizing parent-child relations in veteran families;
  • Reducing emotional stress in participants and alleviating symptoms of PTSD.

Family Rehabilitation

All activities, in terms of participant composition and focus, can be divided as follows:

  1. Psychological training sessions (group therapy, CBT, EMDR, TOT, art therapy) with the main goal of psycho-education on psychological phenomena such as:
    • Trauma and PTSD, their symptoms and manifestations in adults and children, signs that professional medical and psychological help is needed;
    • Techniques for replenishing resources and relieving emotional tension;
    • Emotional states and self-regulation;
    • Conflict-free communication;
    • Family roles and responsibilities, effective spousal interaction;
    • Parent-child relations and age-specific needs of preschool, early school, and teenage children;
    • Methods and techniques for addressing negative phenomena related to psychological trauma.
  2. Individual sessions with a psychologist/psychotherapist and conversations with a chaplain.
  3. A children's program led by a group of educators aimed at developing teamwork skills.
  4. Evening family programs with the participation of the entire family, aimed at bringing the family closer through creative tasks.
  5. Cultural and educational events (hiking, visits to local historical and cultural landmarks) aimed at fostering mutual support and teamwork in the group.
  6. Morning wellness and physical activity program ("Ruhanka") to boost physical and psycho-emotional tone.

Family Rehabilitation

To increase the effectiveness of the participants' work and reduce potential negative external influences, the Family Rehabilitation project implements 3 rules:

  1. Participation in all activities/sessions is mandatory and punctual for all participants during the two weeks.
  2. Alcohol-free and internet-free space.
  3. No criticism! "Every participant is important, and their opinion matters."

The psychotherapeutic program of the "Family Rehabilitation of Combatants" project is designed for 13 full days. It includes three separate blocks:

  • Couples block: 52 hours of group therapy, more than 60 hours of individual consultations (upon request);
  • Children's block: educators work with children under the "EDUTAINMENT" program (learning through play – playing while learning);
  • Family block: 24 hours of group activities where everyone works together.

Family Rehabilitation

The daily program starts at 8 a.m. for all participants and ends at 10 p.m.

To assess the program's effectiveness, psychodiagnostic testing is conducted to identify participants' levels of anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)) and signs of PTSD (PTSD Checklist (PCL)). Testing is carried out before and after the rehabilitation program, and also one month and three months after the program's completion.

Participants of the Family Rehabilitation project are given the opportunity to improve their emotional state, reduce anxiety levels, and learn to avoid and resolve conflicts.