online conference
“The Anatomy of Trauma”
International experience in the treatment of psychological trauma: 22 speakers, 11 countries, 4 days of professional networking.
ONLINE CONFERENCE
“The Anatomy of Trauma”
International experience in the treatment of psychological trauma: 22 speakers, 11 countries, 4 days of professional networking.
International Conference on “Anatomy of Trauma”
The first year of full-scale war. Ukrainian psychotherapists worked every day—under shelling, during blackouts, and between air raid sirens. And they continued to help their clients.
The “Institute of War Psychotrauma” decided to compile this experience and connect it with the international community. Four days, 22 speakers from 11 countries—from the U.S. to India, from Israel to Belarus. Psychotherapists, clinical psychologists, trauma researchers.
The conference covered topics that have become central to the entire Ukrainian psychological field: PTSD and its variants, collective trauma, working with loss, art therapy, veteran rehabilitation, and transgenerational transmission. And one topic that had not been addressed at any previous conference on trauma: how to work when you yourself are in the midst of a catastrophe.
The conference took place in April 2023—in the midst of the war, with no guarantee that there wouldn’t be an emergency announcement in the middle of a presentation. It went ahead anyway. And it brought together more than 22 speakers from 11 countries. That is the answer to the question of why this matters
Day 1. Flagship
Thursday, April 20, 10:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
A Year of War in Ukraine: The Extent of Psychological Trauma and Its Consequences
“Psychological” Takeaways from the Year. Official Statistics and a Psychotherapist’s Real-Life Experience. Severe Cases of War-Related Trauma. Characteristics of the Mental State of Those Who Have Returned from the Combat Zone.
Tetiana Stanislavska,
Psychoanalyst, clinical psychologist, founder of the “War Psychotrauma Institute”, Ukraine
11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Psychological services provided through a network of rehabilitation centers in Ukraine
Principles of Competency Development. Professional Criteria. Challenges and Opportunities for Professional Fulfillment in Working with War Veterans.
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
A comprehensive approach to the treatment of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
Physical and emotional recovery of veterans from the effects of combat trauma. Theoretical rationale and pilot implementation of an integrative approach to the treatment of combat trauma, combining traditional Ayurvedic medicine with group psychotherapy interventions.
Dr. Andrew Vikram Naharwar, PhD, CEO of Amsar Goa Private Limited, India
Olga Lazorko, Ph.D. in Psychology, Professor at Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, Ukraine
2:30–4:00 p.m.
Results of an empirical study on the effectiveness of the Hibuki therapy method in working with children with psychological trauma
The Principles Underlying the Hibuki Therapy Method. Results of an Empirical Study.
Daphne Maximov-Sharon, international expert on trauma and post-trauma in children and adolescents, Israel
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
The Dynamics and Challenges of Collective Trauma
Various forms of collective trauma, each of which gives rise to specific dynamics and entails different challenges—for individuals, communities, and psychotherapists. The external and internal psychological context for refugees.
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Superhero Therapy: How to Cope with Trauma
How to use superhero therapy to help manage PTSD symptoms, feel understood and supported, expand your emotional vocabulary, and help you become your own version of a superhero in real life.
Day 2. International Experience in Trauma Therapy
Friday, April 21, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
The Black-and-White Mindset of Humanity
On the inevitability of psychological trauma. On the meaning of transformation and rebirth—as illustrated by symbols from Christianity, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The constant pull toward death and life—the essence of human nature, its driving psychological force.
Lesya Nikiforova, lecturer in Indian philosophy, Poland
11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Challenges for Psychotherapy and Supervision in Wartime
How to Maintain a Compassionate Presence in Professional Support. The overwhelming experience of grief and loss, forced migration, disruptions to therapeutic settings caused by air raid alerts, and communication challenges. What can professionals rely on to ensure their work continues and remains effective? Insights from a state-run clinical institution and the Ukrainian project Dignity Against Torture.
Hanna Vovk, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, clinical psychologist at a military hospital, psychotherapist, and supervisor for the Ukrainian branch of the Dignity project (Danish Institute Against Torture), Denmark
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Witness trauma
How the war has changed us and our world. Experiences working with refugees, displaced persons, volunteers, and professionals in the helping professions.
Olena Vasilyeva, existential psychotherapist, Lithuania
2:30–4:00 p.m.
Grief and Despair: The Psychological Aftermath of the Kantar Incident in Kazakhstan
Орієнтований на рішення підхід у роботі з травмою свідка, терапевтична роль правозахисників і незалежних розслідувань подій Кантара, погляд з боку на січневі події у Казахстані через призму війни в Україні.
Elena Voronova, family psychologist, Kazakhstan
4:00–5:30 p.m.
Trauma from sexual violence: characteristics during wartime
The Complex Nature of Sexual Trauma. Shame, Guilt, and the Value of Life. Psychological Defense Mechanisms and Resistance: “I Won’t Go to a Therapist.” Basic Principles of Therapy. “Victim of Violence” or “Survivor of Violence.” EOT (Emotional-Imagery Therapy). Case Studies.
5:30–7:00 p.m.
The Psychological Consequences of Political Repression
Captivity and Torture: From the Middle Ages to the Present Day. Victims of Terror. Victims of Political Repression. Living Conditions and Rehabilitation. Case Study (a live conversation with a survivor of a traumatic experience).
Speaker, Belarus
Day 3. The Work of Ukrainian Psychologists During the War
Saturday, April 22, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Art Therapy in Trauma Recovery
The Impact of Stress on Cognitive Abilities. Regression is a common consequence of trauma. Art therapy is a way to gently express emotions, relieve tension, and tap into one’s inner resources. Practical examples and an exercise for lecture participants.
Yulia Farafonova, psychologist, art therapist
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
“I don’t care”: a reaction of indifference
A threatening reality. The physiological process of exhaustion. Ignoring danger and the reasons behind this reaction. What constitutes an appropriate response to danger, and how to overcome apathy.
Anna Tokranovs, psychologist
12:00–1:00 PM
Military occupation: coping, psychological resilience, grief
A Study of the Psychological Coping Mechanisms of the Civilian Population in the Occupied Territory of Kyiv Oblast (November 2022). Presentation of Findings and Trends. Recommendations for Self-Help.
Yana Stadilna, journalist, psychologist
1:00–2:00 p.m.
The wine of the survivor
An unconscious mechanism of vulnerability. The resurfacing of old traumas. Feeling guilty toward oneself for who one is and what one is like. Grief over the loss of one’s self. Reliving past losses. Relying on one’s own resources.
Yulia Denisenko, psychologist, schema therapist
2:00–3:00 PM
A personal story as a way to heal
The Development of Memory During Adulthood. Trauma: A Break in the Narrative and the Inability to Continue the Story. Developmental Trauma, Relational Trauma, and Situational Trauma in Adulthood.
Andriy Shvydkyi, psychologist, psychotherapist
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Internally displaced person: life “abroad”
Psychological and social challenges faced by internally displaced persons, their classification, and approaches to addressing them. Basic needs and ways to meet them. Adaptation challenges. Identity-related difficulties. Practical examples.
Natalia Pluzhnikova, psychologist
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
The shock phase of trauma: surviving and coping
War on Live TV. Sources of Psychological Trauma. Shock and How It Differs from a State of Crisis and PTSD. How to Communicate with Someone in a State of Shock. Sources of Mental and Physical Resilience. Self-Help Techniques.
Irina Khrysanfova, Body-oriented psychotherapist
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Projective methods in the treatment of psychological trauma
Signs and symptoms of psychological trauma. Stages of psychotherapy for trauma. Classification and types of projective techniques. Examples of projective techniques used in the treatment of psychological trauma.
Svitlana Butunets, family psychologist
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
War. Living with Anger
The psychological and physiological mechanisms of negative emotions and their potential as a resource. What the body and mind experience when we feel anger or hatred. How to harness aggression so as not to become a victim and to draw vital energy from it.
Daria Buksina, psychologist, psychotherapist
Day 4. PTSD: A Presentation by the American Institute of Psychology (Vilnius)
Sunday, April 23, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Trauma according to DSM-5 criteria
PTSD. Acute stress disorder. Dissociative subtype of PTSD. Complex PTSD. Differential diagnosis. Comorbid conditions.
Dr. Natalia Zapolsky,
PhD, LMHC, NCC, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, lecturer (FL, USA)
11:45–1:15 PM
Diagnostic and assessment tools
Screening tools for diagnosing PTSD. Advantages and characteristics. Diagnostic protocol, assessment algorithm.
Dr. Natalia Zapolsky,
PhD, LMHC, NCC, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, lecturer (FL, USA)
2:15–3:45 p.m.
Trauma and the Brain
Rethinking Trauma in Modern Science. The Functional Structure of the Brain. The Neurobiology of Trauma. Paul MacLean’s Theory. The Neurobiological Mechanisms of Trauma.
Dr. Natalia Zapolsky,
PhD, LMHC, NCC, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, lecturer (FL, USA)
4:00–5:30 p.m.
An Overview of Approaches to Trauma Treatment
Trauma-informed approach.
Criteria for classifying effective methods. Approaches and interventions in trauma work.
Dr. Natalia Zapolsky,
PhD, LMHC, NCC, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, lecturer (FL, USA)
5:45 PM – 7:00 PM
Answers to the questions
Tetiana Stanislavska, Psychoanalyst, Clinical Psychologist, Founder of the “Institute of War-Related Psychological Trauma”
Dr. Natalia Zapolsky, PhD, LMHC, NCC, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, lecturer (FL, USA)
The annual conference is our goal
We want to make “Anatomy of Trauma” an annual event—a permanent international forum where researchers and clinicians from different countries come together to discuss a single theme: how the trauma of war is passed down through generations and how to stop it.
Every year brings new data, new participants, and new questions that war poses to science and practice.
Scientific conferences need to evolve.
If you would like to become a partner or a future participant in our conferences, please contact us at: warpsychotrauma@gmail.com +380 68 95 92 911
