Pocket Project

The challenge

The war in Ukraine is causing deep psychological trauma, especially among emerging adults. Grief, anxiety, and uncertainty dominate daily life. Over 90% of Ukrainians report symptoms of anxiety disorders, with nearly 60% at risk of developing more serious mental health conditions. For young adults (18–30), this trauma is layered with identity disruption, isolation, and loss of future orientation.

Despite the overwhelming need, culturally relevant and trauma-informed support remains scarce. A culture of heroism often silences emotional suffering. As institutions and communities strain under prolonged conflict, the need for structured, systemic trauma care has never been greater.

Turning challenge into opportunity

The Pocket Project is an international NGO dedicated to a single, shared client: the world. Through teams of educators, therapists, and facilitators, it works to build a more resilient and compassionate future by helping communities shift from traumatized and traumatizing patterns to trauma-informed and trauma-integrating systems.

In response to the war in Ukraine, the Pocket Project has developed a comprehensive, trauma-informed initiative designed by and for Ukrainians. Since 2022, the program has reached over 17,000 people, with a core focus on emerging adults. It provides acute psychosocial support through 1:1 therapy and group sessions led by young Ukrainian therapists — ensuring culturally relevant care at a time of immense need.

At the same time, the initiative is building systemic capacity by training a new generation of trauma-informed leaders through a scalable train-the-trainer model. Participants are equipped to bring trauma literacy into schools, healthcare settings, community spaces, and government institutions. A suite of freely available resources—including the Ukrainian Trauma Toolkit, leadership handbook, and self-study courses—supports this effort to spread impact.

By combining individual healing with collective learning, the Pocket Project is not only addressing immediate suffering but also laying the foundation for long-term resilience and post-traumatic growth in Ukraine’s rising generation. In places of crisis, it offers Resilience Coaching and builds Resilience Circles to transform hopelessness into hope, isolation into connection, and polarization into the potential for societal evolution.