The European Room for Listening (ERL)
The European Room for Listening (ERL) project aims to offer support and professional listening at a time of war and multiple existential crises. The ERL is hosted by an international group of EAP psychotherapists from different countries.
Background, Idea, and Purpose
There is a war going on in Ukraine. It affects Ukraine, but it also affects neighboring countries that have received many refugees, as well as everyone in Europe. Psychotherapists in Ukraine and in neighboring countries need the attention and ears of their European colleagues. They need to share what they experience in being psychotherapists during this time of war and to endure the situation in their everyday lives. They need to share their doubts, their anger, and their fears with European colleagues who are willing to listen, so that their stories can be shared and we can help each other through this terrible situation.
Therefore, we invite you to join the project of establishing an online network, with support from EAP, where we will facilitate open online meetings between European psychotherapists to listen and to support their colleagues in Ukraine and the neighboring countries. The Polish organization WAPP Support Project association will be the host, together with co-hosts from EAP.
How Did the Idea for the Project Start?
At the EAP meeting in Vienna, five colleagues from different European countries (Ewa Dobiala (Poland), Vibeke Lubanski (Denmark), Christina Winkler (France), Enver Cesko (Kosovo), and Ludmila Moskalenko (Ukraine)) decided to find ways to support psychotherapists primarily from Ukraine, but also from neighboring countries. Our colleagues need us: they are offering help inside Ukraine, for refugees in and outside of Ukraine, and for people traumatized by the war situation.
The main idea was motivated by Ewa Dobiala, our colleague from Poland, who is already very much involved in supporting Ukrainian colleagues, and who organized the first conference on Ukrainian psychotherapists working with traumatized people (see attached report). After this conference, we as a voluntary group decided to exchange ideas about how we can work together to establish a professional international group that will support, both professionally and financially, the needed activities. This includes bringing all professionals who are dealing with Ukrainian psychotherapists to connect with other European colleagues.
We need to create a space for psychotherapists who deal with the war on a daily basis to connect with psychotherapists in the rest of Europe, in order to share their stories and experiences and to raise awareness about the human costs of the war. Since we are international professional psychotherapists from different countries, we decided to name the project “European Room for Listening (ERL)”, as our aim is to offer support and professional listening.
Purpose of the “European Room for Listening” (ERL)
The main goal of ERL is to bring together psychotherapists, primarily from Ukraine and neighboring countries, in a yearly physical meeting or conference and a monthly virtual meeting. In this way, they can share their experiences among all psychotherapists and have the opportunity to receive support and protect their own mental health.
Other specific goals of ERL include:
- Protecting therapists from burnout syndrome.
- Reflecting on experiences among psychotherapists from different countries.
- Releasing and healing the wounds from war experiences.
- Offering help, advice, counseling, or psychotherapy for professionals who need it.
- Pursuing a research project that might emerge from the value of such exchanges in a war situation.
Why Is This Project Needed?
Ukrainian psychotherapists and those in other countries indirectly affected by the war use all possible means to get therapy and supervision. However, many of their therapists and supervisors are in the same field of war trauma. Furthermore, being trainers and supervisors themselves, Ukrainian and Polish psychotherapists need support on a wider level.
In times of war, it is very important to deeply consider all aspects connected to dignity and humanity. The sincere presence of another person can help heal trauma and alleviate the feeling of being a victim of the situation. We believe European colleagues can offer that sincere presence to Ukrainian psychotherapists, supervisors, psychotherapy trainers, and other colleagues who are affected by the war.
This project is for psychotherapy worldwide and its continued development. It is for psychotherapists who are ready to listen to difficult questions about the nature of humanity. It is also a project to connect our European resources for healing trans-generational trauma.
Time and Status
We create the European Room for Listening every last Wednesday of the month between 5–8 PM. Anyone wishing to join can use this link to connect and join: survey.zohopublic.eu/zs/s1DHqh .
At recent meetings, 2–3 Ukrainian psychotherapists prepared presentations about what they are experiencing at the moment. Participants are primarily invited to listen, but also to share any reactions, perceptions, and feelings that arise while listening. We have already established a warm, caring space together. The meetings are supported by an interpreter who translates from Ukrainian to English and from English to Ukrainian.
Further Plans
We will continue to invite all European psychotherapists to join us every last Wednesday of the month. We are also preparing an “in situ” meeting in Poland at the end of November, where we will meet and work with our Ukrainian colleagues in a workshop. At this gathering, we will discuss further development and cooperation. We also plan to hold a larger conference in August 2024 in Poland.
How Can the EAP Help?
We need the support of the EAP, including more participants, and we would also like to apply for financial help to pay for the interpreter’s excellent work. We will continue developing this initiative together and remain very open to input.
Best regards from:
Ewa Dobialo (Poland), Ludmila (Ukraine), Enver Cesko (Kosovo), Christina Winkler (France), and Vibeke Lubanski (Denmark)