This meant that an approach which had recently been new knowledge for them quickly became clinical practice. According to their accounts, the results of this practice exceeded expectations.

Psychiatrist Viacheslav Zaika from the Lisova Polyana Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center says that his initial assumptions about the program were far more modest. 

“My experience exceeded my expectations. I expected something interesting, but what I encountered was truly extraordinary.The exchange of experience and support among group members was deep and authentic. These were not standard words of encouragement. People going through this process together truly understand one another. That support feels natural and genuine,” he notes. 

The group format itself became one of the key therapeutic factors. Crisis and clinical psychologist Daria Shaposhnyk-Dominska describes the group as a distinct therapeutic space that creates a new level of awareness. 

“Group ketamine-assisted therapy is a safe space, a kind of micro-society where people can share experiences and receive feedback. A person can see themselves reflected in the Other. This matters, because only then do they finally become visible to themselves,” she explains. 

This effect of mutual reflection and shared processing creates conditions for change that can be difficult to achieve in individual therapy or that may require significantly more time. 

Military psychologist and veteran Ihor Kholodylo emphasizes both the speed and depth of the results he observed as a facilitator. 

“Things that used to take me six months to achieve therapeutically, we were able to accomplish in just a few weeks. It was striking,” he shares. “Someone who has not gone through this process might respond with skepticism, because it sounds too strong. But this is the reality we encountered.”

For professionals who have worked with war trauma for years, this pace of change became one of the most important discoveries. In a context where the number of people in need of support continues to grow, both effectiveness and timeliness become critically important. 

According to the specialists, ketamine itself opens new possibilities for trauma work, particularly in cases where traditional approaches have limited effect. 

Ihor Kholodylo stresses that ignoring the therapeutic potential of this approach would be a serious mistake: “To overlook the healing dimension of ketamine would be irresponsible, because it opens enormous possibilities in working with veterans and their families, who also need support.”

Beyond clinical effectiveness, the group format offers another significant advantage: the ability to reach more people in conditions of limited resources. 

“This matters not only economically, but also in terms of scale. The group format allows us to reach more people. Most importantly, it is within the circle, where people can share experience, that healing takes place,” says Daria Shaposhnyk-Dominska. 

In the Ukrainian context, where the war has lasted for more than a decade and created an unprecedented demand for trauma-informed care, the emergence of effective and scalable therapeutic models carries strategic importance. 

Heal Ukraine Trauma created this training program with that purpose in mind: to build a professional community in Ukraine capable of working with the most complex consequences of war using modern, evidence-based, and effective approaches. 

The first groups and the experience of their facilitators show that this approach not only works, but also has the potential to become an essential part of the support system for veterans and their families. 

Perhaps most importantly, it offers something that trauma often takes away: the sense that change is possible.