Amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia's armed forces, 27 Ukrainian therapists traveled to Israel to learn from Israeli specialists about trauma response.
The specialists, from the NATAL Trauma and Resiliency Center, taught the Ukrainian professionals how to treat terror and war-related anxiety and trauma, including for specific victims such as children, veterans, prisoners of war, victims of sexual violence and refugees.
The Ukrainian therapists participated in the first week of a four-month training program in which they attended lectures and workshops teaching skills such as how to diagnose symptoms of stress, anxiety and trauma, provide support to first responders, prevent burnout and secondary trauma, and improve resilience.
The project was greenlit by Michal Herzog and Olena Zelenska, the First Ladies of Israel and Ukraine. They held a conversation and agreed to cooperate on a humanitarian effort to promote mental health and support people affected by trauma. Herzog and Zelenska oversaw the establishment of a team made up of experts from NATAL and Zelenska's team.
Following the conclusion of the training session, the first ladies congratulated the participants at a ceremony featuring Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) chair Julie Platt and NATAL founder and chair Jude Yovel Recanati.
The training course, sponsored by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and JFNA, will continue via Zoom for an additional four months.