We were the first in Ukraine to create a comprehensive ecosystem of mental health care for patients within a municipal multidisciplinary hospital. Even before the full-scale invasion, we opened our own psychiatric department, and in 2022 — the Mental Health Center.

Here, psychotherapy is provided completely free of charge to military personnel and civilians affected by the war, their family members, and young residents of Lviv. Any individual who needs support can access our mental health specialists.

The Center employs a team of 50 highly qualified professionals — psychiatrists, psychotherapists, psychologists, and neuropsychologists. Various therapeutic methods are available, including:

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

• Art therapy

• Exposure therapy

• Neurofeedback

• Gestalt therapy

• Transcranial magnetic brain stimulation

• Body-oriented therapy

The core principle of the Center’s work is a comprehensive approach. To achieve the best possible outcomes in recovery, each patient is provided with an individualized therapy plan that combines several methods.

The First Lviv Medical Union already operates three mental health centers: at the UNBROKEN Center, St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital, and St. Luke’s Hospital. In the summer of 2025, a new Center for Assistance to Survivors of Captivity and Torture was also opened.

Art Therapy: How Creativity Aids Rehabilitation

One of the key areas of work at the Mental Health Center is art therapy — a method of psychological rehabilitation that uses the creative process to express emotions, relieve stress, and restore mental well-being.

At our Center, various types of art therapy are practiced:

• Drawing

• Pottery

• Weaving

Since 2024, the Center has operated a dedicated creative workshop. Patients can use it not only during organized classes and workshops but also at any time convenient for them, as access to the space and materials is unrestricted.

Weaving, pottery, sculpture, and painting are not just creative activities — they are effective rehabilitation tools. These exercises activate all areas of the brain and stimulate the restoration of neural networks. For example, during weaving, both hands and feet are engaged simultaneously, colors are consciously selected, and calculations are made to create patterns. This contributes to the restoration and formation of new neural connections, which is especially important for patients with traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and those who have survived captivity and torture