ALLIANCE OF UKRAINIAN AND EUROPEAN PSYCHOTHERAPISTS
In October 2022, at the invitation of the then President of EAP Patricia Hunt FRSA, senior members of the Executive of the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP) started to meet regularly with senior members of the Ukrainian Umbrella Association of Psychotherapy (UUAP). The aim was, and still is, to provide support to Ukrainian Psychotherapists in this terrible time of war. When EAP asked “What help can we give you?”, the answer was “Please help us to organise Symposiums for Ukrainian Psychotherapists to support them in their work during the war”.
The meetings of our group are enabled by the excellent translation between English and Ukraine given by Alexander Mironenko, and our group includes our technological and media experts. The atmosphere is of rich shared colleagueship, humour and laughter, a deep respect for each other and thankfulness for the human warmth and support of the group in this time of war. We stand together at this dark hour.
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First Symposium - Friday February 24th 2023
“Ethical Challenges for Psychotherapists in our Changing World.” (view video recordings) -
Second Symposium - Friday June 16th 2023
“New Challenges for Psychotherapists.” (view video recordings) -
Third Symposium - Friday November 17th 2023
“The Transgenerational Transmission of Trauma and Recovery from Trauma.” (view video recordings) -
Fourth Symposium - Friday February 23rd 2024
“The Tragedy of Childhood in the Time of War.” (view video recordings)
The World we live in today is facing huge changes. Major events, such as Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, a global pandemic, and climate breakdown are leading to social devastation, displacement and a refugee crisis. The existential challenges manifested by today’s social realities present us with dilemmas challenging our established basic principles and ethical norms. As Psychotherapists it is important for us to consider in depth the challenges in these new times, as well as the challenges of Ukraine’s post-war future. It is vital to explore and debate our ideas with colleagues from other European countries, and our Symposiums give the opportunity to do this.
Patricia Hunt FRSA, Chair of the Alliance
A close working group of colleagues has developed, and a strong series of online Symposiums has been created. The first one was on the anniversary of the full scale invasion of Ukraine, on February 24th 2023. This first Symposium was very moving, more than 1000 Psychotherapists registered for it, and a pattern for the Symposiums was established. Each one has a time for small group discussion, with the aim of promoting conversation and dialogue between UUAP Psychotherapists and EAP Psychotherapists. Each one has distinguished speakers who have given their time and their professional and academic expertise for free. Each one has a Round Table in the afternoon, for questions to all the speakers and discussion.
BOARD MEMBERS
Chair of the Alliance
Patricia Hunt FRSA
Patricia Hunt is Chair of the Alliance of Ukrainian and European Psychotherapists and Chair of the Symposiums. She is Former President of the European Association for Psychotherapy. In 2022 she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts (FRSA) in recognition of her work as President of EAP, and in the Health and University Sectors in the UK. She is a Board Member of the World Council for Psychotherapy. Former Head of Department at the University of Nottingham UK, she founded a new Psychotherapy Department in Ningbo, China at Nottingham University’s international campus. Former Vice Chair of the UK Council for Psychotherapy. Patricia is a Psychotherapist, Consultant and Advisor.
EAP President
Irena Bezić
Irena Bezić, Gestalt psychotherapist and EAGT licensed supervisor, in private practice in Zagreb, Croatia. Since 1996 leader of educational training in Gestalt-psychotherapy for IGW-Croatia. I have PhD in clinical psychology and PhD in social politics/social work. Since 2005 I am delegate for Croatia in EAP, later chairing Ethical guidance committee, and National umbrella committee – now I am actual president of EAP. Through these years I was fighting for the Psychotherapy low in Croatia, until 2018, when the national law was established. From 1991 until 2001 I worked with war-traumatized people, in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo in different roles – as UNICEF national program officer for psychosocial rehabilitation, trainer and supervisor in psychosocial projects, and psychotherapist for various victims of war. From time to time I am teaching on University of Zagreb in few post-MA-specialization programs – Team supervision, (on Study of social work); Introduction in Gestalt therapy (Psychotherapy study on Medical faculty) and Psycho-oncology (Department of Psychology, Philosophical faculty).
EAP General Secretary
Tom Warnecke
Tom Warnecke is the EAP General Secretary. He maintains a psychotherapy and supervision practice in London and has worked in statutory mental health services, as an educator for various psychotherapy and supervision diploma courses in Europe, and developed a relational-somatic approach to Borderline trauma. His work is grounded in psychophysiological and psychodynamic perspectives and his publications include book chapters, journal articles, and the book 'The Psyche in the Modern World - Psychotherapy and Society' (Karnac 2015).
UUAP Representative
Roman Kechur
MD. Ph.d, Head of the Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy of the Ukrainian Catholic University, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, teaching therapist and supervisor of the Ukrainian Union of Psychotherapists and the European Confederation of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapies, Chairman of the Training Council and Secretariat of the Ukrainian Union of Psychotherapists. President of the Ukrainian Confederation of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapies, Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian Psychotherapeutic University.
Czech NAO Representative
Jirka Drahota
Jirka Drahota - Chairman of the Czech Association for Psychotherapy. Director of the Psychotherapeutic Institute - Gestaltstream. Director of the Center for Children with Combined Disabilities.
Technical manager
Martin Vitkus
Martin Vitkus is an editor, organizer of virtual events, web developer and journalist from Vilnius, Lithuania. Currently, Martin Vitkus organizes and supervises the technical part of online training events for mental health professionals. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism. He worked as a reporter in various Lithuanian printed and online newspapers and magazines. His main journalistic interests are media ethics standards, online media and HoReCa. He was an editor-in-chief of specialized magazine "Psichiatrijos žinios" (“Psychiatric knowledge”). He is an editor of an online magazine "The Nordic Psychiatrist".
UUAP Representative
Alexander Mironenko
In Ukrainian Umbrella Association of psychotherapists I have good experience of mutual agreement and cooperation of different modalities of psychotherapy and organizing common projects. Actually I work with military servants and civil people in their hard living and existential situations. The intent to better express the position of Ukrainian psychotherapists not as victims of the full-scale war, but as a community that despite all hardships keep high ethical and scientific standards of psychotherapy lead me to the EAP and UUAP working group. Due to good knowledge of languages I have an important role of communicator.
EAP Representative
Eugenijus Laurinaitis
Prof. Eugenijus Laurinaitis, MD, PhD, psychiatrist, psychodynamic psychotherapist since 1977, group analyst since 1995, member of the Board of EAP since 1992, Chair of the Membership Committee of EAP 2001-2013, President of EAP 2013-2015, Secretary General of EAP 2017-2023. Founder and teacher of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy course of Vilnius University 1992 – 2022, teacher and supervisor of Group analysis training course of Vilnius University from 2001 till now. Teaching psychodynamic psychotherapy and group analysis internationally (Latvia, Estonia, Poland).
UUAP Representative
Anastasiia Sklyaruk
Anastasiia Sklyaruk, a Doctor of Psychological Science (a PhD in psychology), a professor of Practical Psychology Chair in the Zaporizhzhye Classic Private University, a register psychotherapist of the Ukrainian psychotherapists` Union, a psychotherapist-educator of the Psychodrama section. In 2007 I defended the master`s thesis on the subject of “Social well-being as a factor of personality political behaviour”. In 2018 I defended the doctoral thesis on the subject “The psychology of personality socialization in a problem family”. I have more than 50 scientific publications and a published monograph “A problem family as an environment for child`s socialization”. I have more than 20 years of psychotherapeutic practice.
UUAP Representative
Larysa Didkovska
Ph.D. Larysa Didkovska, psychologist, gestalt therapist, trainer and supervisor. The member of the Ukrainian Umbrella Association of Psychotherapy, Head of the section of Gestalt-therapy of the UUAP, President of the Ukrainian Association of Gestalt-therapy (since 2006), Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Ukraine (since 2010), Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Ukrainian Free University (Munich, Germany) (since 2019), the member of EAP (since 2001), OAMHP(since 2007), EAGT (since 2018) a member of the HR & SR Committee.
Media consultant and journalist
Viktoriia Shmulina
Viktoriia Shmulina, media consultant, journalist, researcher. Viktoriia has 20 years of experience in journalism and PR. She has worked for national and international media. She was the editor-in-chief of regional and all-Ukrainian Internet portals. Author of a collection of essays about the region's iconic figures. She developed and implemented communication strategies during elections at various levels in Ukraine. On a voluntary basis, she has worked with Ukrainian NGOs that deal with issues of gender equality, human rights protection, and access to information. She holds a master's degree in journalism and a master's degree in philology. Her research interests include conflictology, information warfare, psychological impact of the media, and propaganda. She conducts trainings on countering information influences and counter-propaganda.