This is the story of 14-year-old Mykyta, a teenager from Kherson who experienced occupation, forced displacement, and the loss of his familiar life. It is a story about how psychological support helped him cope with his fears and begin to believe in the future again.
What the family went through
In 2022, Mykyta’s family left occupied Kherson after a month and a half under occupation. They settled in a small town in the west of the country, where everything felt foreign and unfamiliar. His father was almost immediately mobilized to the front, and later that same year, another child was born into the family. Life was turned upside down: a new place, a new school, a mother caring for an infant, and a father at war.
In the spring of 2025, the boy came to us experiencing high levels of anxiety and an emotionally depressed state. He carried a burden no child should have to bear: fear for his father, who had been wounded and concussed, for his grandmother who remained in occupied Kherson, and for his own future, which felt uncertain and frightening.
Participation in the “SviTY” program
Mykyta attended both group and individual sessions. During group meetings, he connected with peers in a warm and supportive environment and gradually experienced what he had been missing so deeply: empathy, mutual understanding, and support. At the same time, we conducted a parental consultation with his mother, focusing on the importance of recognizing a teenager’s needs and how to support him during such a challenging period.
Over time, his anxiety decreased. Mykyta began to rebuild communication with his classmates, regained interest in learning, and most importantly, started to look toward the future with greater confidence.
