From May 13 to 17, the second round of the “You Are Not Alone. Supporting Those Who Support” training took place, organized and coordinated by Self-Help Communities NGO.

The goal was to create a space for peer support, learning, and emotional recovery for professionals who work daily with military personnel, war-affected individuals, and their families.

The Oleksandr Tereshchenko Charity Foundation joined as a co-organizer, providing coordination and support.

Special thanks go to the Ukrainian diaspora organization Friends of Chervonohrad (USA), whose initiative and funding made this program possible.

Such partnerships are key to building sustainable support systems for mental health professionals.

The well-coordinated efforts of the teams turned this training into a hub of professional growth, deep dialogue, and genuine emotional renewal.

The People Who Made This Event Possible

▪ Maria Martynenko, LPC — a licensed psychotherapist from the USA with over 20 years of experience, specializing in trauma, anxiety disorders, and depression.

Since 2014, Maria has been supporting Ukrainian professionals, and in 2024, she launched a group therapy program for military psychologists that became the foundation for expanding Ukraine’s veteran mental health support system.

▪ Oleksandr Tereshchenko — veteran, head of the eponymous charitable foundation, and author of the “I Could — And You Can” project.

Over five days, participants engaged in a safe, integrative space combining psychoeducational sessions, trauma-focused practices, art therapy, facilitated discussions, reflective exercises, and public conversations.

They explored their own experiences of loss, adaptation, and service, learned to overcome inner resistance, recognize suppressed emotions, build empathetic interactions, and design new support formats for their communities.

Professional development here went hand in hand with personal healing.

Special Thanks

We extend our deepest gratitude to Self-Help Communities NGO for the initiative, coordination, and implementation of the event.

We also thank the team at Friends of Chervonohrad, which unites the Ukrainian diaspora in the USA around supporting Ukraine.

Thanks to their initiative — and the personal involvement of Maria Martynenko and Robert Hedou — we once again raised the funds needed to implement this critically important program.

This is an example of genuine collaboration built on trust and shared values.

Finally, we thank Trembita Veliatyno SPA Complex for their warm hospitality.

It was here that participants not only learned but also recharged in an atmosphere of calm and care.

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