A Safe Space to Heal for Ukrainian Refugees in Poland
Highlights
- There are almost 1 million registered Ukrainian refugees in Poland
- UNICEF-supported mental health workers help refugee children from Ukraine and their caregivers cope with trauma and adjust to life in a new country
More than four years after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than one-third of the country's children remain displaced. Nearly 1.8 million are living as refugees outside Ukraine. Mental health workers like psychologist Oksana Gorna support children and caregivers as they cope with trauma and adjust to life in a new country.
Helping displaced children and parents cope with the effects of war trauma
When psychologist Oksana Gorna and her family left Ukraine to settle in Wrocław in southwestern Poland in 2019, little did she know that millions of Ukrainians would soon follow in her footsteps. Originally from Khmelnytskyi Oblast in western Ukraine, Gorna has Polish roots, which influenced her decision to relocate. In Ukraine, she worked as a school psychologist, supporting students, parents and teachers.
After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Gorna says she and her husband initially volunteered at the train station in Wrocław, helping Ukrainian families fleeing in search of safety. Since then, there have been more than 28 million border crossings from Ukraine into Poland. Currently, almost 1 million registered Ukrainian refugees are living in Poland — but the actual number of refugees could be even higher. Around 90 percent of refugees in Poland are women and children.
The Wrocław-based Foundation Kaleidoscope of Cultures was looking for Ukrainian-speaking psychologists to help refugees, so Gorn decided to join, first as a volunteer and later as a permanent team member.
As the number of people arriving from Ukraine in Wrocław grew, the city opened several collective accommodation centers to host the most vulnerable. One of them, Przystanek Grochowa, was supported by UNICEF in cooperation with the municipality of Wrocław. The assistance focused on strengthening resilience, facilitating access to services and mental health and psychological support, preventing violence against children and fostering social integration.
In search of safety and relief
At Przystanek Grochowa, Gorna’s role became essential. In Ukraine, she had worked as a school psychologist, supporting students, parents and teachers. A specialist in play therapy, psychological first aid and grief, she has also worked with people who have experienced violence, including in schools, and has helped people overcome traumatic experiences. In Poland, she worked with people in crisis, particularly those experiencing the effects of war trauma and PTSD.
It’s clear that people were fleeing and seeking safety, but they were also looking for peace. You can be a guru in psychology, read many books, but if you don't have a good, calm heart, little will succeed. — Oksana Gorna, psychologist
The facility had previously been a school but hadn't been used in recent years. In just ten days, the space was renovated and beds were installed in the gym and classrooms. Communal dining areas, showers and laundry facilities were also set up. Once ready, the center began receiving refugees arriving in Wrocław who had nowhere to stay.
Gorna highlights the dedication of the center’s staff, who, like her, started as volunteers. “There were people with big hearts. They gave residents a sense of inner calm. It’s clear that people were fleeing and seeking safety, but they were also looking for peace. You can be a guru in psychology, read many books, but if you don’t have a good, calm heart, little will succeed.” In addition to the staff, student volunteers helped maintain shared spaces.
Learn more about how UNICEF supports children's mental health
Trauma comes in many forms
The stories of the residents Gorna supported have stayed with her, from a baby born in Kyiv on Feb. 24, 2022 — the date the full-scale invasion began — to an elderly man, born in 1944. “He was alone at first, and then his grandson, who has mental health problems, joined him. The grandson went straight to psychiatric care upon arriving in Poland, and now the grandfather takes care of his grandson,” she explains.
"Psychological support needs varied,” she shares. “To some, I was a daughter, to others a mother, a friend or the person who would say to colleagues, ‘Are you tired? You need to take a day off and get some rest.’ I also provided psychological education, explaining why certain things were happening.”
When someone is injured and still in trauma, without resources, you can't start therapy. You have to support them first, so they have the strength for therapy, then the process can begin.
Gorna emphasizes that while working at the center, she provided counseling, not therapy. “We didn’t do any therapy because there’s no time or space for it. Therapy goes deeper. When someone is injured and still in trauma, without resources, you can’t start therapy. You have to support them first, so they have the strength for therapy, then the process can begin. It was behavioral counseling, explaining why something is happening and how it might be better handled.”
Over time, as residents stayed longer, conflicts occasionally arose. Gorna’s role was often to help resolve disputes, sometimes through group meetings over tea to create a less formal atmosphere.
Related: Helping Children Cope With Trauma in Wartime Ukraine
Mental health support for children must include support for caregivers
As a child psychologist, Gorna pays particular attention to children. “For children in this situation, attention is very important. Mothers were also in a state where their protective mechanisms were focused on preserving themselves. It’s like when you are on a plane, first the oxygen mask on yourself, then on your child. So I would gather the mothers and say, ‘I understand how hard this is, but give your children 10 minutes, they need eye contact.’ Children don’t fully understand the situation happening in the world. But when a mother is near and embraces them, the child feels safer,” she explains. Gorna’s guidance helped both children and adults regain a sense of normalcy and security amid ongoing trauma.
I would gather the mothers and say, 'I understand how hard this is, but give your children 10 minutes. They need eye contact.' Children don't fully understand the situation happening in the world. But when a mother is near and embraces them, the child feels safer.
The Przystanek Grochowa center operated until the end of October 2025. It is now closed, and residents have been relocated to other centers. Looking back at her time at Przystanek Grochowa, Gorna reflects on the challenges and rewards of working closely with both adults and children under extreme stress. Her work required not only professional expertise but also empathy, patience and adaptability to the varying needs of residents, from immediate support upon arrival to longer-term guidance for those staying months or even years.
In 2026, UNICEF requires $37.9 million to ensure protection, sustain services, strengthen systems and maintain readiness to new or escalating needs of children and caregivers displaced by the war in Ukraine and living as refugees in host countries.
Help UNICEF reach more children in need
This story was adapted from unicef.org
Collective accommodation centers, initially established as emergency housing at the onset of the refugee crisis, currently host nearly 16,000 people across Poland, with children accounting for an estimated 30 percent of residents. The largest concentration of centers and residents is located in the Lower Silesian, Lesser Poland and Masovian provinces. In response, UNICEF implements a program to strengthen the protection, well-being and social inclusion of refugee children from Ukraine and their caregivers living in collective centers across all three regions.
In Lower Silesia, the program is delivered in partnership with the City of Wrocław and, at regional level, through a consortium of non-governmental organizations, including Nomada Association, Kaleidoscope of Cultures Foundation and the Ukraine Foundation. The program provides integrated support focused on child protection, psychosocial well-being and inclusion in local systems of education, health care, social assistance and the labor market, while promoting families’ transition towards stable, independent living and strengthening local child protection and social inclusion systems.
This important work for refugee children and caregivers from Ukraine in Poland is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the U.S. Department of State (PRM) and the Government of the Republic of Korea.
Learn more: UNICEF's humanitarian action for children in Ukraine and refugee response 2026 appeal
HOW TO HELP
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