After a challenging evacuation from Kherson, 12-year-old Masha constantly feared that her relatives or friends who remained in the city might die or suffer irreversible injuries. Her worries were so intense that she talked about them to her friends as if these fears had already come true. And then she would spend hours crying, grieving the potential loss of her loved ones.

In this state, Masha came to our community center, where she immediately began active work with a psychologist. Our specialist offered Masha several exercises to help her gradually recognize and control her emotional surges. At the center, Masha also started interacting with peers, some of whom were also children from Kherson. They often reminisced about their favorite places and familiar streets they loved to stroll through. Supporting each other, the children found it easier to cope with the longing for home.

A significant step towards Masha’s recovery was the day she started dreaming about what she would do when she returned to Kherson. This positive change was also facilitated by creative activities, which diverted Masha from negative thoughts and brought her positive emotions.

Today, Masha smiles more often and cries much less. We can’t say that in such a short time Masha has fully healed, but she has shown courage and a great desire to become more confident, overcome her fears, and move forward without them.