Our Work

Heal Ukraine Trauma is the first initiative of Heal Traumas International, Inc., a mental health 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2022.

Our goal is to help Ukrainian adults and children heal from the trauma of war so that they can live fulfilling, productive lives. We work with international trauma experts and Ukrainian partners to scale existing evidence-based programs and pilot innovative solutions for:

1) Veterans

Supporting the introduction of novel therapies to improve outcomes for those with severe mental health conditions.

2) Children

Implementing effective programs to address traumatic stress and reduce the risk of long-term mental health conditions.

Our Approach

Heal Ukraine Trauma brings unique value – we focus on areas of great need, build collaborative partnerships, and lead project teams. Our global network of experts helps us achieve maximum impact.

Please reach out if you would like to collaborate with us!

Veterans Programs

  • Ukraine faces an escalating mental health crisis as the war continues to inflict widespread trauma on both civilians and soldiers. 

    Of the 1.2 million veterans registered with Ukrainian Veterans Affairs, about 400,000 are projected to suffer from serious mental health challenges, and an estimated 132,000 are likely to experience treatment-resistant conditions where traditional therapies fall short. 

  • In 2023, Heal Ukraine Trauma (HUT) sponsored the first medical conference on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT) in Ukraine for the treatment of PTSD. Organized by the Ukrainian Psychedelics Research Association (UPRA) and hosted by the Forest Glade military rehabilitation hospital, this event featured international experts presenting scientific and clinical data on PAT. Veterans shared personal experiences, and the conference was viewed online by over 12,000 people. This landmark event sparked discussions about the potential legalization of PAT in Ukraine, increased awareness of PAT as a breakthrough therapy for trauma-related mental health conditions and led to a government roundtable to explore approval pathways. Working groups with key stakeholders were established to address the necessary requirements. 

    Building on this momentum, in September 2024, HUT, in collaboration with UPRA and the Forest Glade Centre for Mental Health and Rehabilitation, hosted a Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Symposium in Kyiv. This groundbreaking event brought together key stakeholders to explore the science of ketamine, hear insights from professionals in the field, and discuss KAP projects currently being implemented in Ukraine. The symposium fostered the growth of a therapeutic community committed to advancing KAP as an effective mental health intervention. Events like this continue to pave the way for innovative therapies to address the mental health crisis affecting millions in Ukraine. 

  • HUT has partnered with Fluence, a leader in psychedelic therapy training, and the Ukrainian Psychedlic Research Association to make Fluence’s introductory course on psychedelic-assisted therapy available for free in Ukrainian language for psychologists and medical doctors addressing war-related trauma.

  • HUT has developed Ukraine’s first KAP training program and the world’s first group PAT program for veterans. Our pilot program, launched in July 2024, aims to address the urgent mental health crisis in Ukraine by developing a comprehensive Group Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) curriculum. The pilot has successfully trained 8 Ukrainian therapists in Kyiv, who will now transition into supervised practice, treating groups of Ukrainian veterans. In its first year alone, these therapists have the potential to provide KAP to 372 veterans, offering much-needed support for those affected by the war.  

    With 11 million people projected to need psychosocial support in Ukraine, scalable solutions that maximize resources and go beyond the traditional 1-to-1 patient-provider model are essential. The group KAP model leverages ketamine’s effectiveness and legal status in Ukraine to deliver immediate, impactful care. This approach not only addresses current needs but also establishes a framework for future psychedelic-assisted group therapy, should other psychedelic medicines become legally available in Ukraine.  

    HUT plans to build on the success of this pilot by scaling the program in 2025 to train an additional 48 therapists. This expansion will significantly increase the program’s capacity to provide life-changing care, enabling thousands of veterans and civilians to access innovative, evidence-based mental health treatment. Our vision is to create a sustainable model that empowers Ukrainian therapists and meets the growing demand for effective, scalable mental health interventions. 

Children’s Programs

  • Since 2022, Ukrainian children have had their lives upended because of the war. Many have experienced traumatic events – loss of loved ones, separation from family and friends, destruction of homes, and ongoing Russian missile strikes.

  • Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT) is an evidence-based program that helps children in conflict and disaster areas process traumatic stress. The program was developed by the nonprofit Children & War and has been actively used in Ukraine since 2014.

    TRT addresses the early stages of trauma, preventing mental health issues from intensifying. Heal Ukraine Trauma has reached 1,293 children with the program in 2023 and 2024. The 6-week, two-hour sessions teach mind-body techniques to help with stress management and trauma processing. Children who participated reported that the program was useful (91%) and showed improvement on standard mental health assessments at the end of the program.

  • Heal Ukraine Trauma is providing support for an ongoing randomized controlled trial in Ukraine to assess the effectiveness of adding a parenting module to the Teaching Recovery Techniques program. The program partners for this study are Queen Mary University, Ternopil University, UNICEF, “All Ukrainian NGO Volunteers”, Children and War Foundation, and the Department of Education in Ternopil. The study will enroll 226 children. The program has so far screened 4500 children ages 8-13 and found that 40% have above-threshold PTSD symptoms.

  • Program under development

    This program aims to adapt the TRT program manual and evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed adaptations for children with disabilities in Ukraine. Currently, there is no provision in the TRT manual and associated learning materials for children with disabilities. There are around 700,000 children with disabilities in Ukraine and over 40 million children with disabilities living in war zones globally. Children with disabilities are particularly impacted by war and were an underserved population before the conflict in Ukraine. Together with our partners at Children & War and the Yarmachenko Institute of Special Education and Psychology of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, this program will pilot the adapted program among a group of 60 children.