“When you live through war, it becomes a part of you. You feel it within—in tension, anger, fear,” says Olena Borysova, a psychologist at our Hope and Healing Center. For thousands of children from frontline and temporarily occupied areas, and internally displaced families, war means more than explosions; it also means losing their familiar lives, friends, and sense of safety.

13-year-old Dmytro (name changed) understands this better than most. Together with his family, he was forced to leave his native Donetsk region, abandoning their home under occupation. This challenging time coincided with his teenage years. Daily conflicts with peers and adults became the norm, and he struggled to build relationships with those around him. The only people he could communicate with calmly were his younger brother and sister, who have special educational needs.

Fortunately, Dmytro’s family came to our Hope and Healing Center. Through art therapy—clay modeling and painting—and individual sessions with Ms. Olena, the boy began to open up. Within three months, he learned to manage his emotions and even apologize, something previously unimaginable. His mother says that, for the first time in a long while, she saw her son begin to trust people again.

Olena Borysova works with children affected by war and knows that each child needs their unique path to harmony. For some, it’s creativity; for others, conversation. “The most important thing is to make them feel they’re not alone,” she says. “Such support helps children not only cope with difficult experiences but also find the strength to move forward.”

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This project was created by Save Ukraine thanks to a grant received from the Children’s Resilience Fund: Providing Capacity Building and Funding to Ukrainian Civil Society Organizations. The program is implemented by Crown Agents in Ukraine and @integrity_action. The content of this post does not necessarily reflect the views of Integrity Action or Crown Agents in Ukraine.