Art therapy helps children deal with war trauma

Almost three years after Russia's large-scale invasion, 3.5 million people are displaced in Ukraine. People who have been forced to leave their homes in occupied territories or war zones to settle elsewhere in the country. Many of them are children and families who have suffered severe trauma.

Children draw their dreams in art therapy

There is a great need for social and psychosocial support in Ukraine right now. Thanks to Erikshjälpen, children affected by the war can receive professional help from psychologists while being allowed to just be children. To be creative and develop their creative spirit.

- Art therapy is a form of psychological support that allows each child to express their concerns. Today I saw a clear example when a girl drew a picture of her father with birds flying around him. Her father is a soldier and through the drawing she was able to express her dream that her father would come home," says child psychologist Lyudmila Burtseva.

Creation gives children the chance to dream of life without war

Art therapy allows children to get away from the war for a while. They have access to a safe place where they can do something they like. Creative work makes the children open up and dare to express their feelings. Lyudmila Burtseva says that many children draw houses or a safe place to live. Their dreams are to be able to return home one day.

- Every child in Ukraine has an unmet need for safety. There is not a single place in the country that has not been affected by the war. Not a single day goes by without your plans for the day being ruined by an air raid. This is something that children react very strongly to. That's why these meetings are very much about creating a place where children can feel good and safe," she says.

Children carry individual traumas

About half of the children Lyudmila meets are internally displaced. Many of them have seen their homes destroyed in robot attacks or have been forced to flee without their parents. Each child carries their own individual trauma and art therapy helps them find a safe place inside.

- Art therapy is not just about children drawing or painting on a specific theme. It's about what the children feel and it gives them an opportunity to create a story that is not about the war, but about themselves. Art therapy helps them to feel better and to find an inner safe space - a safe space that does not exist in Ukraine right now.

Author: Johan Larsson