How to Survive a Russian Invasion: Ukrainian Psychologists Discuss Trauma & Resilience Amidst War

Join us for a round table discussion on how teachers, students, and refugees are dealing with the emotional and mental health strain imposed by the Russian invasion of their country, featuring a panel of psychologists currently based in Ukraine.
Panelists:
Olena Merzliakova, PhD. is an Associate Professor at the Teacher Training Institute of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University (Kyiv) and a member of the National Psychological Association (Ukraine). She is also a consultant of the NPA psychological support crisis hotline. Her current research is: Identifying key strategies of resilience in Ukrainian teachers during the war.
Larysa Bakhmutova, PhD. is a lecturer at the National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport (Kyiv), the lead researcher at the Kostiuk Institute of Psychology of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv), and a member of the National Psychological Association (Ukraine). Her latest research is: Peculiarities of psychological disorders among Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
Vitalii Lunov, PhD. is an Associate Professor at Bogomolets National Medical University (Kyiv) and a member of the National Psychological Association (Ukraine). His most recent work is: Understanding the Ukrainian syndrome: Psychological changes in Ukrainian youth and young adults during the 2022 Russian invasion.
Lyudmyla Kolisnyk, PhD, is a counseling psychologist & senior lecturer in psychology at Sumy State University in Ukraine, a research fellow at the Aarhus University in Denmark, and a member of the National Psychological Association (Ukraine). Her most recent research is: Psychological services and the mental health of students at Ukrainian universities.
Moderators:
Sarah L. Hedlund, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst who co chairs the Assessment track at GWU. She has a private practice where she sees children, adolescents, and adults in individual therapy and psychoanalysis. She also conducts neuro-psychological and psychological assessment with children, adolescents, and adults. She is a member of NTL and the AK Rice Institute, where she pursues her interest in organizational dynamics and organizational consultation, with a particular interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Dr. Robert Orttung, PhD. is a Research Professor at IERES and the Director of Research for Sustainable GW. He is editor of Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Demokratization and co-editor of the Russian Analytical Digest. His research focuses on issues of urban sustainability in the Arctic.