Dyachuk Family: Psychological Knowledge Is Essential in Today’s Ukraine

Ovruch is a city in northern Zhytomyr region, near the border with Belarus. Archpriest Oleksandr Dyachuk serves there in the city’s only parish of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. He attended the training together with his wife, Tetyana.

Father Oleksandr did not choose Ovruch — he was assigned there by his bishop. Starting ministry in the region was not easy. For years, the area had been heavily influenced by Russian religious and cultural traditions, and Ukrainian-language services were often perceived as unfamiliar. Building a parish community required patience, perseverance, and conviction. Over time, however, the community grew.

Today, most of the concerns people bring to the church are related to the war.

“The first thing people bring is pain — pain from loss, uncertainty, and constant stress,” says Father Oleksandr.

Young people come before exams. Families of fallen and missing service members seek support. Others come simply exhausted by chronic stress that is gradually turning into something more serious.

At the end of the day, the priest returns home — and there is Tetyana.

“You have to be a source of strength. You need to understand, support, and be there for him, because the next day he has to continue helping other people,” she explains.

The couple deliberately chose to attend the training together.

“The psychological foundation we currently have is not enough. People come to us in very different emotional states. We need not only to support them but also to understand how serious their pain is and, when necessary, refer them to a specialist,” Father Oleksandr explains.

The two-day training offered both of them a new perspective on conversations they have every day.

“You can’t worry more about a person’s situation than they do themselves. We can listen and support, but we cannot make decisions for them or tell them what they must do,” says Tetyana.

She adds that sometimes a person is simply not ready to accept help — and that reality must also be respected.

“It’s like a steering wheel that helps guide others. A priest carries many passengers and must know the right direction. Psychological knowledge is extremely important in today’s Ukraine,” Father Oleksandr concludes.

“A major challenge lies ahead of us. Clergy, psychologists, and psychotherapists will all have a great deal of work to do. We must be ready for it,” Tetyana adds.

Watch the couple’s full story in the video below.

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.