The first module of the Erasmus+ BURN Summer School has begun at the KSU Center for Psychological Resilience and Well-being

The first module of the Erasmus+ BURN Summer School, dedicated to the development of professional competencies in the field of mental health support and the implementation of trauma-informed practices, has started at the Center for Psychological Resilience and Well-being of Kherson State University.

The first module «Understanding Trauma»  brought together specialists who work with people who have experienced trauma and are interested in implementing modern approaches to psychological support and developing community resilience.

The goal of the training «Principles of a Trauma-Informed Approach for Community Mental Well-being» is to equip specialists with skills for effective interaction with survivors, managing the consequences of vicarious trauma, creating a safe environment without retraumatization, as well as supporting their own professional well-being. Particular attention is paid to the use of modern evidence-based stabilization methods, developing stress resilience, mindfulness practices, and working with various forms of loss.

As part of the first module, participants examined key issues related to the nature of trauma, its signs, and its impact on human mental health. During the training, modern approaches to defining trauma, its psychological and behavioral manifestations, as well as mechanisms of human response to traumatic events, were analyzed. 

A separate thematic block was dedicated to types of trauma, specifically the characteristics of individual and collective trauma. Participants explored how traumatic experience affects not only an individual but also social groups and entire communities, forming long-term psychological and social consequences. Professional discussions, analysis of practical cases, and reflection on the challenges faced by specialists in conditions of war and societal crises played an important role in the work. 

The first module was conducted by Ruslana Bilous, PhD in Psychology and Associate Professor of the Department of Psychology at KSU, who introduced participants to modern approaches to understanding individual and collective trauma. 

The Erasmus+ BURN Summer School is an important platform for professional development, exchange of experience, and the search for effective solutions in the field of mental health support amidst modern challenges.