“I didn’t want anything; I was just angry at everyone and everything,” 16-year-old Liza admits as she gazes out the window of our center in Hatne.

Behind her are 2 years and 7 months of life under constant shelling. It was a time when every day began and ended with the sound of air-raid sirens. Her older siblings had scattered, leaving her with her parents in an occupied territory.

When Liza first came to our Hope and Healing Сenter, her mother was desperate. Liza had become withdrawn, avoided communication, and responded to attempts to connect with aggression. The hardest topic was her father, who stayed behind to protect their home: “I don’t understand how he’s managing there on his own. I feel like I betrayed him.”

Step by step, through trauma therapy, psycho-education, and art therapy, Liza began to open up. In the safe space created by our psychologist, Olena Kramarenko, Liza learned to express her emotions, work through her guilt, and understand that leaving the occupied territory was not a betrayal but a way to survive and take care of herself.

Today, Liza’s condition has improved significantly. For the first time in a long while, hope has returned to her eyes: “I feel like I can start over.”

Timely professional help can address even the deepest wounds of war. At our center, children and teens not only receive psychological support but also gain tools to build their future. If you or someone you know needs psychological assistance, please call the Save Ukraine hotline: +380 67 717 71 11.

These consultations are part of the Comprehensive Psychological Assistance for Children and Families Affected by the War program, which is implemented under the USAID project Building a Sustainable Public Health System with Pact support. The program provides psychological assistance to displaced adults and children who have experienced trauma.

⚡️ This post contains a real story. The name has been changed for ethical reasons and to protect confidentiality.