Final Session of the Self-Help Plus Program: From Personal Support to Empowering Others

🗓 On June 29, 2025, the fifth and final session of the Self-Help Plus (SH+) program for veterans and their families was held at the Veteran Development Center of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. The course was facilitated over the past month by Svitlana Kaminska, psychologist at the Veteran Mental Health Center of Excellence at the Institute of Psychiatry of the same university.

The program brought together 22 participants — veterans and their family members — for whom the sessions became not only a source of support but also a space of trust, acceptance, and collective healing. Over five meetings, they practiced effective techniques in self-regulation, stress management, and restoring internal resources in the face of life’s challenges.

🔹 Self-Help Plus (SH+) is a group-based program developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), which combines elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and psychoeducation. It is designed to help individuals cope with the psychological impact of trauma and chronic stress.

💬 The end of the course marks not a conclusion but a new beginning. Participants who completed all sessions are now preparing for the next stage — training to become facilitators of the SH+ program. They will learn how to pass these skills on to other veterans, their families, and communities in need of support.

In this way, experience becomes a source of strength and renewal — not only for oneself but also for others.