PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT FOR UKRAINIAN TEACHERS DURING THE WAR: A MORITA THERAPY–BASED STUDY GUIDE

Introduction

How to Use This Study Guide

 February 24, 2022 marked a turning point not only for Ukraine, but for the entire world. Since the beginning of the war, millions of Ukrainians have been affected through loss of life, displacement, and the disruption of daily living and education. According to international reports, a large number of children have been directly impacted by the war, with many unable to attend school or living far from their homes. Exact figures continue to change as the war remains ongoing.

Teachers and students live and learn under the same prolonged conditions of uncertainty and stress. Schools continue to function, classes continue to be held, and educational responsibilities remain, even when stable physical and psychological safety cannot be guaranteed.

In situations of prolonged crisis, psychological distress does not disappear on its own. Fear, anxiety, exhaustion, and a sense of helplessness often accumulate over time. Waiting until the end of the war to address psychological well-being would mean leaving both teachers and students without support during a critical period of their lives.

Teachers face a particularly difficult position. While experiencing the same stressors as the children they teach, they are also expected to provide structure, stability, and emotional presence in the classroom. Supporting teachers’ psychological well-being is therefore an essential step in supporting children.

The purpose of this study guide

This study guide was developed in response to these realities. Its purpose is not to eliminate fear, pain, or exhaustion, nor to provide quick solutions. Instead, it offers ways of understanding common psychological experiences shared by teachers living and working under war conditions.

The guide aims to help teachers continue their daily lives and professional roles without self-blame, even when circumstances do not improve. It can be used independently and does not require prior knowledge of psychology or mental health practices.

Why a Morita Therapy–based approach?

Morita Therapy provides a psychological framework that does not require individuals to change or suppress their emotions in order to function. Instead, it recognizes that fear, anxiety, and the desire to live and work meaningfully often coexist, especially under extreme conditions.

This perspective is particularly relevant in wartime, where emotional distress is a natural response to ongoing danger and loss. Rather than aiming to remove difficult emotions, Morita Therapy offers ways to live and act alongside them. For teachers, this approach can provide a realistic and sustainable way to remain engaged in their work with students.

How this study guide was developed?

The content of this study guide is based on two surveys of Ukrainian teachers conducted in January and October 2024, as well as a series of Morita Therapy–based online support sessions with teachers from different regions of Ukraine. In particular, this guide draws on intensive work with teachers in the Zaporizhzhia region, where educators have continued teaching under conditions of ongoing military threat and prolonged uncertainty.

During these sessions, teachers shared their experiences, concerns, and questions related to living and teaching in wartime. The materials presented in this book reflect the issues that teachers themselves identified as important, the perspectives they found helpful, and the questions that emerged repeatedly during discussions.

How to use this study guide?

This study guide does not need to be read from beginning to end. Readers are encouraged to select chapters that feel most relevant to their current situation. On difficult days, it may be enough to read only a few pages—or to set the book aside and return to it later.

The guide is intended as a companion rather than a prescription. It aims to support teachers in continuing their work and daily lives under ongoing crisis conditions, while respecting individual limits and circumstances.

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the support of the Mental Health Okamoto Memorial Foundation.

We also thank Executive Director Susumu Nonaka and Professor Emerita Kaori Hotta at Saitama University, as well as Professor Takanobu Matsuura at Nihon University, Mr. Kiyoaki Okamoto and Kazuyuki Inoue at Seikatsu-no Hakkenkai (Non-Profit Organization) for their continuous support and guidance.