Art therapy workshops for children and their caregivers in Ukraine
Situation:
The main reason for the project was, and still is, that parents of traumatized children are reluctant to seek professional help from psychologists or psychiatrists. They think that such appointments will make their child "crazy." "Art therapy workshops" don't sound as much like illness to these parents and are therefore more readily accepted.
Even after more than four years of war, psychological support remains underdeveloped and receives little to no government funding, as the state is grappling with other war-related problems.
Objectives:
The aim of this project is to normalize and improve the psychological and emotional well-being of children from families affected by the war in Ukraine and their caregivers by conducting regular art therapy activities in which both children and parents participate together.
After the project's 12-month (52-week) duration, at least 700 families, consisting of at least one parent/guardian and at least one child, participated in workshops in three cities, learning art therapy methods to better cope with the consequences of war. This is documented in participation lists from the project partners and feedback questionnaires.
The project partners conduct weekly workshops with children and their parents/guardians. Each workshop involves 6 to 10 children aged 6 to 16, who paint or do crafts together. The workshops are supervised by trained staff.
The parents/guardians learn practical methods to help their children better cope with the consequences of the war. They share their experiences with each other to continue supporting their children at home.
During the 2-3 hour meetings, the children receive art therapy-based support and interact with other children from the region. During this time, parents have the opportunity to exchange ideas with other parents about similar challenges and learn from each other.
