«Cracks in the armor»: child’s traumatization and pathways to healing in war conditions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38014/ehs-ss.2025.4.08Keywords:
psycho-emotional experiences, levels of child psyche traumatization, defense mechanisms, pathways to healing, child psychotherapyAbstract
The article presents a case of a child’s traumatization resulting from exposure to hostilities and the injury of a parent who was serving at the front. It explores the dynamics of psycho-emotional experiences, defense mechanisms, the transformation of aggression, and the search for resources. The metaphor «cracks in the armor» is used to describe the gradual softening of the child’s psyche and the possibility of emotional opening through therapeutic relationships. The authors analyze the specific features of interaction between child psychotherapists and young clients who have experienced traumatization due to military events in Ukraine. The focus is on the child client’s psycho-emotional experiences at different levels of traumatization. Special emphasis is placed on key pathways to healing that enable adults to better understand children’s mental states and needs in crisis conditions. The article concludes that acceptance of the child’s symbolic thinking, high-quality psychoanalytic interpretation, safe and stable therapeutic relationships, acknowledgment and containment of the child’s aggression, creative representation of trauma, and a resourceoriented return to “pre-traumatic” memories create opportunities for harmonizing the psycho-emotional state, developing the child’s resources, and reducing the impact of traumatization.
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