Welsh doctors Lisa de Rijk and Rhian Price are psychotherapy counselors and specialists in an American treatment developed following the attacks of September 11, 2001. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, the pair have decided to bring their helping Ukrainian therapists treat post-traumatic stress syndrome. The BBC took an interest in the project.
After a Polish psychotherapist residing in Ukraine called for help to deal with the psychological violence of war, Lisa de Rijk made up her mind: “It was the best gift we could give them.” The specialist decided to bring together a team of eleven English, Northern Irish, Welsh, Polish and American therapists, all trained in the treatment called «Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories» (or RTM). It makes it possible to partially separate the traumatic emotions from the memories, in a process of reconstructing the latter in a less violent form. The aim is in particular to reduce the frequency and intensity of nightmares or flashbacks.
Intensive training
Twenty-eight Ukrainian therapists were able to benefit from an intensive three-day training free of charge. Lisa de Rijk says: “On the first day, they were all very pale, looked completely shocked and showed no emotion. We worked with them and at the end, we could see the heat return, they had regained their identity as professionals and were ready to return to their daily lives with the keys to help their compatriots.
Rhian Price uses the RTM treatment, developed by American psychotherapist Frank Bourke, in his daily work in Bangor, Maine. According to her, the team did not share personal or individual experiences, but “At the end, when we said goodbye, the participants started talking about what had happened to them”. Some of them have already started helping other people, especially those living in eastern Ukraine who are having the worst experience of the conflict.
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Researchers from King’s College de Londres began to work on how this project could lead to other similar assistance programs. Lisa de Rijk explains: “We want to show that we have been able to train people in the middle of a war, that it is effective and that it can be done without any expense with volunteers.”
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