Countless people are exposed to great, sometimes even mortal danger by the war of aggression against Ukraine – either directly via military attacks or when fleeing from their homes and country.
This causes significant emotional stress and overwhelm.
Even helpers and empathetic people all over the globe can be not only terrified but mentally destabilized by the news about the war. That’s because traumatic experiences can have a contagious effect: Our ability to empathize with other human beings makes us emotionally vulnerable. When tuning in to the pain of others we to an extent feel it as if it were our own. Therefore people directly as well as indirectly affected by this war suffer from sometimes severe emotional symptoms like anxiety, helplessness, grief and hopelessness.
To people who have survived armed conflict or displacement in their lives before, current events might feel like reopening old wounds. The aformentioned symptoms add to the emotional burden caused by the invasion itself. Emotional relief is much needed. By sharing techniques which may aid you in relieving emotional pain, we by no means intend to diminish the dangers and unspeakable burden of war. Rather, we are convinced that anybody suffering adverse emotional effects from war deserves emotional relief, not least in order to preserve, reattain or even grow their hopefulness, inner strength and resilience.
On this website we present tools for emotional self-help designed to support you in coping better with uncertainty and fear in these troubled times. They are fit for anybody affected by the war directly or indirectly and may also be applied by professionals in counselling, psychotherapy or refugee assistance.
- This set of cards for crisis intervention enables you to create phrases that strengthen and support your well-being. Combine the cards (a card from part 1 with one from part 2) until a sentence that feels really good to you emerges. A sentence is most helpful when it speaks to your heart and you feel its empowering effect in your body. To make the best of its potential effect, a sentence should be repeated regularly – the more the better! Of course you can also put together several encouraging sentences or invent your own customized sentences it they suit you better. If you wish, start right away by looking for sentences that nurture your soul.
- Our short guide for emotional self-help in times of war and crisis provides you with techniques to reduce acute stress. Because adverse emotions manifest as bodily sensations, part of these techniques are body-oriented. The exercises are explained step by step. You cannot make any mistakes. Just give it a try!
All services on this website are offered free of charge.
