Compassion Care in times of War - with First Aid of the Soul's Nathalie Robelot - Timtchenko

First Aid of the Soul: Culturally-sensitive & Trauma-informed Care Amidst Ongoing War: On February 24, 2022, Russia started the invasion in Ukraine causing an unprecedented act of violence the world hasn't witnessed since World War II. Thousands of people have been killed, lost their homes, were forced to flee their country and leave their lives behind. Currently, there are over eight million ‘officially registered’ Ukrainian refugees across Europe, and over five million internally displaced families across the entire country of Ukraine.

First Aid of The Soul, a 501c(3) nonprofit, launched in March 2022, formed in response to this war with the mission of providing free mental health support to Ukrainians affected by the war. A global collective of clinical experts from the expressive and creative arts fields was mobilized to deliver accessible trauma-informed mental health and psychosocial support services to Ukrainians through multifaceted, holistic, and creative approaches.

This workshop will explore the work of First Aid of the Soul and the framework that the core clinical team has been developing since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Through discussing the challenges and obstacles faced in offering our services, and how we have been implementing creative interventions within this work to build a sense of belonging, empowerment, dignity and compassion. The workshop will also address the importance of what it means to hold space that is culturally sensitive, beyond language barriers, trauma-informed, and meets the needs of those we aim to serve.