Resilience in adversity
Interview with Oksana Kryvonogova
Oksana's story is one of transformation, born out of a desire to redefine traditional approaches to mental health care in Ukraine. Before the war, her organisation focussed on early childhood intervention, providing vital support to families with young children facing disabilities. However, as conflict engulfed the region, the landscape shifted dramatically.
"When the war started, my specialists were educated to be early childhood intervention specialists. We were not prepared to work with psychotrauma in a conflict setting. We only knew the trauma of the birth of a child with special needs." Oksana reflects. “We didn't know what to do. How do we work during a war?”
Empowering families through psycho-education
Drawing from her experiences and learnings, she spearheaded efforts to empower families and communities. "Through parents, through raising their capacities, you can help children from early ages," she emphasises, highlighting the importance of a family-centred and routine-based approach to mental health.
‘Simple things like playing and talking with your child are still important.’
Finding strength in peer support
Oksana's message is clear: 'Simple things are important,' she affirms, emphasizing the value of self-care and community support in times of crisis. “Another step is peer support. We are not familiar with peer support groups in our culture, but it is important to meet people with the same experience as you. I have seen some great examples in The Netherlands.”
A cultural shift towards self-care
Acknowledging the essential importance of personal resilience, Oksana and her team started dedicating time to self-care. “It is not in our culture to help ourselves. We need to make a cultural switch in Ukraine and consider the importance of self-care, especially for professionals supporting people. They were trained to give support to others but were not trained to help themselves.”
As Oksana looks to the future, her optimism shines bright, fueled by the resilience of the human spirit and the bonds of solidarity that transcend borders. "Life goes on," she declares. With each step forward, she embodies the spirit of hope, reminding us that even in the darkest of times, simple acts of self-care and solidarity can illuminate the path towards healing.
In 2023, ARQ organised an international conference commemorating 50 years of knowledge sharing on psychotrauma. Psychologist Oksana Kryvonogova was among four panellists invited by ARQ International to share his perspective on psychotrauma in conflict settings. Oksana Kryvonogova founded Healthy Society, an NGO that provides early childhood intervention to families and advocates for this service in Ukraine. This resulted in a national strategy for early childhood intervention, national coordinators, and the establishment of nine governmental centres in the Odesa region.