Art therapy as a path to recovery: how Alona helps children through creativity

In these photos, you can see Alona, an art therapist from our team, who works in the northern part of Donetsk region. As part of a mobile brigade, she visits families to conduct sessions aimed at relieving the nervous system of children of all ages, as well as carrying out special exercises to improve their emotional and psychological state.

“Children are interested in everything right now! They have missed communication, company, and exciting games. In one word, everything that is part of a normal, peaceful childhood. So we try to do everything possible to organize their time in a way that allows them to feel at least a part of that childhood, even in these conditions,” shares Alona.

As a social educator by profession, Alona has spent her entire life working with children in various kindergartens. Now, in the humanitarian sector, she works alongside her husband, who has many years of experience in NGOs and international projects. So, making helping people their profession became a family decision.

In 2022, they themselves had to go through the difficulties of evacuation. Due to the frontline movement, Alona and her family first ended up in Oskil, Kharkiv region, and later in Khmelnytskyi region, where, on a voluntary basis, she began helping families with children who had been relocated to a dormitory at a local vocational school.

Today, the family has returned to Yasnohirka near Kramatorsk. They managed to restore their house, which had been destroyed by enemy shelling, and continue working in their native Donetsk region, where people are in the greatest need of help.

“For me, it is important that I can bring joy back to children’s eyes. You know, we often practice fairy tale therapy,” says Alona. “Together with the children, we come up with heroes, create plots, and draw an entire world. It is a 100% successful practice that works across any age! When I see how children believe in their heroes and in their own strength, I know that my work really makes sense.”

The project Alona is working on is being implemented by the NGO “Responsible Citizens” in partnership with UNICEF and with financial support from USAID.