Back to university to help veterans and servicemen

“Psychology has always been interesting to me. I was observing people’s behavior and noticing different moments. I have been curious about it for a long time,” admits 47-year-old Yuliia Nosko. However, her life was completely different—she was managing supply chains for technological facilities while raising children and had no plans to change anything.
“I worked in my field; I had small kids. I was always running. I just never had a chance to think and question these choices, let’s put it this way,” recalls Yuliia.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine changed everything. Yuliia, who lived near the front line, like thousands of Ukrainians, was left without a job.
“Factories were just not working. No matter how much I asked, what kind of commercial offers I made on behalf of our company, or how many requests I sent… ‘We’ve been bombed, do you understand?’ they all answered. The company I worked for used to supply oil-filtering stations to one of the thermal power stations, and they wrote to us that it was completely destroyed. This is just unbearable—a very difficult topic to talk about. But you must go on and do something,” says Yuliia.
Yuliia had to adapt to new realities. With her husband currently serving in the armed forces, she sought advice from specialists at the “Checkpoint” Rehabilitation Center, a recommendation from a friend. “Such a nice place; everyone is friendly,” Yuliia recalls her first impressions. “You can even get a cup of coffee and chat with the people who work there, and everyone will tell you something useful. The atmosphere made me feel comfortable and secure.”
After consultations with the center’s psychologists, Iryna Talko and Liudmyla Sviridova, Yuliia felt ready to start a new chapter in her life. She decided to use another service offered by the center—business consultation.
According to the Rehabilitation Center’s business consultant, Anastasiia Dovbnia, who worked with Yuliia, this service has proven quite popular. “During the five months of the center’s operation, I’ve seen many requests for training or help starting businesses,” says Anastasiia. “Despite the frequent shelling by the Russian military and the psychological stress everyone is under, our people still think about the future and need beginner consultations for starting a business. They want to understand where to start and how to avoid risks.”
Anastasiia emphasizes that the best results in working with the center’s Business School specialists are achieved when clients simultaneously work with a psychologist. “This tandem allows us to help clients understand what exactly they want—to get a new education, adapt to a new profession, or make career changes. Together, we can also work on a person’s self-confidence about their ability to make changes in their lives, such as mastering a new profession or starting a business.
“Together with the visitor, we compile their CV according to the new criteria of the labor market. If necessary, we advise, support, and even accompany them until the very moment of entering an educational institution or submitting a business project for pitching to receive funding from government programs,” she adds.
These simultaneous consultations by the center’s psychologist and Business School specialist helped Yuliia Nosko develop her own plan: “Iryna would ask me, ‘Yuliia, don’t you want to try to get a new degree?’ And I thought: why not give it a try?”
When preparing for admission, the center’s psychologists helped her by sharing specialized literature and other useful resources. Soon, Yuliia became a student at Zaporizhzhia University.
“Now I am waiting for a call with further information. Well, the first step has been taken. I am so happy!” Yuliia shares.
After completing her education, Yuliia plans to provide psychological support to those affected by Russian aggression, specifically to veterans, military personnel, and their families, including herself and her husband.
Yuliia notices, however, that military men, including her husband, are often reluctant to seek psychological help. “My husband will not go to a psychologist,” she shares, “because he, just like most men, is used to dealing with everything on his own. Our family is the only place for him to get help and have a conversation.” Yuliia believes this is a widespread but unhealthy dynamic, especially for family members who are themselves vulnerable.
As Iryna Talko, a psychologist at the Rehabilitation Center, notes, servicemen’s families are under enormous stress, even though they are not physically in a combat zone.
“Work with them focuses on mitigating the consequences of long-term physical and psychological stress associated with their spouse (and parent) being separated and living in harsh conditions, unable to get physical and emotional support from their families,” adds Iryna. “Given the constant uncertainty about their partner at the front, one loses faith in their ability to ensure the safety of their family, especially if they are responsible for children, older parents, or other dependents. Therefore, ‘I can’t do it anymore…,’ ‘Nothing depends on me…,’ ‘I can’t stand it…,’ and ‘I feel that I don’t want anything anymore…’ are among the feelings family members are coping with.
“At the same time, almost all our clients carry a sense of guilt and inadequacy, comparing themselves to their loved ones at the front line.”
The full-scale war, which has become a traumatic experience for millions of Ukrainians, is still ongoing. New, sad, and disturbing news arrives daily. This is an awful reality to live in, but Yuliia believes that her experience will inspire others to stop trying to face everything alone and instead seek support.
“I may not have a lot of experience yet, but I can say that if you have the opportunity to consult with a psychologist, you should do it,” says Yuliia. She emphasizes that mental health specialists are not only humans with their own struggles but also professionals who have seen and helped many people with similar difficult experiences and possess the skills to assist.
“We must not be afraid to move forward, to ask for help, to gather together, and to support each other,” Yuliia concludes.
The “Checkpoint” project is co-funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania and administered by the Central Project Management Agency of the Republic of Lithuania.