"You want your kid to have psychological support? Is he psycho? Are you psycho?"
According to Azad Safarov, founder of the charitable foundation Voices of Children, that’s the kind of reaction you once might have heard in Ukraine if you suggested counseling for a child. "Five years ago, or even three years ago, people in Ukraine had little understanding of the need for psychological support for anyone, particularly children," he states.
Such an attitude stems from the legacy of the former Soviet Union, where psychology was associated with the silencing of political opponents. Soviet therapists could and did institutionalize political opponents of the regime by declaring them mentally ill. Even though it was done a generation ago, the weaponization of the profession of psychology has left a memory that makes people uncomfortable about seeking psychological help today.
However, the current war in Ukraine is causing a change in perspective. According to Safarov, many Ukrainians, including his organization, now have a more Western-style appreciation of the benefits of psychology. Voices of Children is working to help children........