Stress, Loneliness, and Recovery: Resilience Trainings for Orthodox Clergy Held in Kyiv

Last week, Eleos-Ukraine held another round of training sessions at the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy, bringing together priests, clergy spouses, and active parishioners from dioceses across Ukraine.

Participants took part in two training programs: "Self-Help and Resilience for Clergy" and "Assessing Community Needs: Socio-Psychological Support and Community Development."

Throughout the sessions, participants learned to recognize the signs of stress, better understand its impact, identify personal resources for recovery, and strengthen resilience in ministry.

The first training focused on how chronic stress can lead to burnout, why loneliness in ministry is a significant risk factor, and how faith, family, and community can become essential sources of renewal and resilience.

The second training introduced practical tools for assessing the needs of local communities and developing comprehensive support for people experiencing crisis.

"This training helped me realize that life is about more than just home. There is also the Church — and as clergy, you often feel you have to be perfect because you live in a glass house. I am truly grateful to the trainer. The work you do is incredibly valuable," shared one participant.

"Five hundred bows and four akathists is not always the answer. We are not isolated from society — we are part of everything that is happening around us," said Sister Vasylyna from the Volyn region.

"This was my first training of this kind. I have always been interested in learning something new, and I believe this knowledge is valuable for everyone. A priest's life and ministry cannot be limited solely to social service within the Church," added Father Volodymyr from Sarny.

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 and Lviv Orthodox Theological Academies.