Church as a Place of Restoration: 198 Ukrainian Priests and Parishioners Completed Training on Psychological Support During Wartime

The last week of May concluded with training for priests, rectors, seminarians, and active parishioners from different parts of Ukraine. The training was held in Kyiv and Lviv and covered three topics: “Palliative Care and Spiritual Support,” “Leadership and Spiritual Ministry During War,” and “Basics of Counseling and Psychological First Aid.”

Participants not only gained new knowledge, but also shared practical experiences from their own parishes. Together, they analyzed difficult situations and searched for practical responses to the challenges they face every day: how to speak with a dying person, how to support a soldier, and how not to burn out while carrying the burden of others’ pain.

“Today, the Church can be more than just a place of prayer. It can become a place where human dignity is restored — a place where people find support again,” says project trainer Ella Sokolyuk, a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and supervisor.

“For two days, our group not only received theoretical knowledge, but also worked through practical cases. A priest should know how to communicate with a person who needs help, how to find words of support, and how to offer comfort and hope. I hope my experience was valuable for the training participants,” said training participant Priest Ihor Shramko.

Since the beginning of the year, 198 participants from all regions of Ukraine have taken part in the psychological training organized by the NGO “Eleos-Ukraine,” and 68 of them have attended the training more than once.

The project “Clergy and Communities in Support of Mental Health: Innovative 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 and Lviv Orthodox Theological Seminaries.