A Place No One Can Take Away A Relaxation Practice for Helping Professionals This relaxation practice was offered by Dr. Marina Livshits during a VELA Well-being meeting to support helping professionals coping with stress and circumstances beyond their control. Sometimes…
Pause. Observe. Choose. A Practical Exercise for Helping Professionals and Caregivers Helping professionals and caregivers spend much of their time responding to the needs of others. In the process, it can become difficult to pause long enough to notice what…
The Journey We Cannot Fully Control: Trauma, Choice, and Narrative Awareness® When we work with trauma, we often encounter a difficult reality: not everything can be changed. Some circumstances are outside a person’s control. A loss cannot be undone. The…
When There Is Almost Nothing Left What happens when we are so overwhelmed, exhausted, or depleted that we feel there is almost nothing left to give? For caregivers, educators, mental health professionals, parents, and others who regularly support people around…
Sometimes Surviving Is Enough During times of trauma and acute stress, we often expect ourselves to keep going. We tell ourselves we should continue working, caring for others, staying productive, making decisions, and doing all the things we normally do.…
Another meeting with our Ukrainian colleagues. Another reminder that when people live through prolonged trauma, coping does not always mean doing something. One participant shared: “Nothing works anymore. What worked before doesn’t work.” Another said: “I want to sleep. I…
Why Does the Body “Break Down” When Everything Seems Under Control? In the 5th year of full-scale stress, we increasingly observe the phenomenon of “delayed exhaustion.” A person who worked like a super-organism during the first years — shelters, volunteering,…
Breathing in Light, Breathing Out Tension Take a moment to become aware of your breathing. You do not need to change anything yet. Simply notice: Where do you feel your breath? Perhaps you notice the air entering through your nose.Perhaps…
INVITATION TO THE INTERNATIONAL ART ACTION “SOWING THE SEEDS OF BEAUTY” We invite you and your students to participate in the international art practice “Sowing the Seeds of Beauty,” conducted as part of the XXXI All-Ukrainian Earth Day Festival 2026:…
Time: This is a 45-minute arts-based activity. It can be done individually,and you are encouraged to complete it as part of a group. You will have theoption to choose a version for children or a version for adults. Purpose: To…