"A Person Is More Than Their Trauma": A Psychologist and a Priest on Supporting People Through Traumatic Experiences

The fifth episode of the Let's Talk About podcast takes a deeper look at trauma, trauma-informed care, and what it truly means to support someone in crisis. In this conversation, Iryna Raspopina, psychologist and psychotherapist at the NGO Free Choice, and Archdeacon Stepan Voznyak, a priest of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery and practicing psychologist, discuss how genuine support is not about having all the right answers — it is about being present, even when words are not enough.

A Person Is More Than Their Trauma

Not every stressful experience is traumatic, and not every traumatic event leads to PTSD. According to Iryna Raspopina, the widespread misuse of these terms can unintentionally create a sense of hopelessness.

"People often say that we are all traumatised for generations to come. But the human psyche has an extraordinary capacity to recover," she explains.

Whether a person is able to cope depends on several key factors: whether they have personal resources to draw upon, whether supportive people are nearby, and their overall psychological condition. Faith can be one of those resources. So can a caring community.

"We need to look at people in a way that allows us to see their strength. Whatever they have endured, they have already found the strength to survive it. That means they also have the strength to move forward."

Seven Days of Silence: A Model of Support

Father Stepan reflects on the Book of Job, where Job's friends simply sat beside him in silence for seven days before speaking.

"Unfortunately, we don't have seven days. But we do have moments when we can simply say, 'I'm here with you,' without rushing to fill the silence."

He believes this highlights one of the greatest challenges for clergy: the temptation to offer immediate answers.

"When someone comes to us in pain, we often feel we must say something straight away. But real help doesn't always begin with answers. We need to allow people to experience their emotions so they can gradually find their own path forward."

Words That Can Create Distance

Iryna Raspopina shares the story of a woman who had been displaced by the war and lost her husband. She visited a church simply because she wanted to talk about him.

"She was told, 'Pray for his soul.' She left feeling that no one wanted to hear her talk about the person she had lost. What she really needed was someone willing to listen."

Phrases such as "It was God's will" or "God intended it this way" are usually spoken with good intentions. Yet, for someone in deep grief, they can feel dismissive rather than comforting.

"Sometimes priests are afraid of another person's emotions. They want to protect themselves, offer a quick explanation, and bring the conversation to an end."

Instead, Father Stepan suggests a different response:

"I don't know why this happened to you. But you are not alone. I'm here with you, and I'm willing to walk beside you."

Working Together for Mental Health

The conversation concludes with a shared vision of how clergy can become part of multidisciplinary mental health teams, working alongside psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers.

"Psychologists and priests often work with the same people, but from different perspectives," says Father Stepan. "Psychologists help people process their experiences, while priests help them search for meaning. Some people are not ready to see a psychologist, but they will come to a priest. If the priest recognises when professional mental health care is needed and helps connect them with the right specialist, then we are truly working as a team."

The fifth episode of the Let's Talk About podcast is now available on the Eleos-Ukraine YouTube channel.

The project "Clergy and Communities in Support of Mental Health: Innovative Support Practices During the War in Ukraine" is implemented by Eleos-Ukraine in partnership with DanChurchAid and Norwegian Church Aid in Ukraine, with financial support from the Government of Norway (NORAD), in cooperation with the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy and the Lviv Orthodox Theological Academy.