Supporting Ukrainian Veterans

Healing The Wounds Of War — Especially Children and Veterans

Psychotherapists and allied professionals from Boulder and across the United States have joined with Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University to strengthen Ukraine’s capacity to address the profound mental health impacts of war. Through advanced clinical training delivered with deep compassion, this collaboration has become the cornerstone of the Sister City relationship.

The brutal war, now approaching its fifth year, has exacted a devastating toll on Ukraine. Beyond the immense physical destruction, the psychological and emotional damage has been profound and pervasive. Nearly every man, woman, and child has been touched by trauma — from the grief of losing loved ones, to lives uprooted by violence, to the sleepless nights and fears carried by children. As the war continues, intergenerational trauma is not only real, but growing.

Against this backdrop, the International Institute for Trauma Studies (IITS) in Vinnytsia has functioned with extraordinary effectiveness throughout more than four years of the war. The demand for knowledge and practical skills to heal trauma in Ukraine is immense. Led by U.S. Executive Director Gaea Logan, a Boulder resident and Board member of the Sister City, along with a dedicated team of professionals at Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University, the work of IITS is grounded in a shared, integrative approach. The program weaves together contemporary psychoanalysis, group therapy, neuroscience, resilience training, and psychosocial support. https://icmhhr.org/iits/

Through a committed U.S.-based faculty working via Zoom with Ukrainian faculty and trainees, the program recently became the first to receive national certification as a gold standard in trauma training. Using a “train-the-trainer” model, more than 4,000 clinicians have now been registered, with a conservative estimate of over 100,000 patients reached. These patients include widows, children, amputees, soldiers, students, and parents whose lives have been deeply affected by the war.

Despite blackouts, displacement, and the constant threat of missile and drone attacks, faculty and students have produced accredited coursework, supervision, and clinical training. Together, they have built a living, resilient mental-health infrastructure — operating from within a nation at war, and laying foundations for long-term healing.

Hear the gripping story of this work in this nine minute TED X Salon clip from the Founder and USA Executive Director of IITS, Boulder resident Gaea Logan.