Mission, Values, and Goals
Mission and Values
The Ukrainian Psychoanalytic Union is a community of professionals working in the fields of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy who are advancing these approaches in a contemporary context.
The Union’s mission is to promote the mental health of Ukrainian society by providing highly qualified psychological care, developing the professional community, and disseminating evidence-based approaches in the field of mental health. In the context of war and prolonged stress, we are particularly aware of the vulnerability of mental health. The Union’s activities are aimed at supporting inner resilience, developing professional assistance, and creating a space where understanding and working with mental experiences are possible. We believe that access to qualified psychological assistance is an essential part of society’s life.
We share the World Health Organization’s definition of mental health: a state of well-being in which a person can realize their potential, cope with challenges, work, and participate in community life. Our activities are based on this approach.
We focus on the following areas:
- supporting the professional community and developing psychoanalytic practice;
- creating and developing educational initiatives for professionals;
- improving the delivery of psychological care;
- raising awareness about mental health.
Our current activities include:
- the work of professional committees that establish standards and procedures;
- organizing conferences, seminars, and professional meetings;
- supporting continuous professional development;
- collaborating with international professional communities.
Our priorities for the future:
- implementing a professional certification system;
- developing educational programs in the field of psychoanalysis;
- expanding international cooperation;
- improving the quality of psychological care.
The Union’s core values:
• professionalism and adherence to ethical standards;
• scientific rigor and continuous professional development;
• social responsibility;
• accessibility of psychological care;
• support for colleagues and the development of the professional community.
Achievements
To date, the Ukrainian Psychoanalytic Union has achieved the following results:
• A counseling center has been opened in Kyiv (Pecherskyi District, 3A Levandovskyi St., 3rd floor) with convenient access by public transportation;
• A social project providing psychological assistance to the public has been implemented;
• Created its own consulting platform for recruiting specialists (only specialists who meet professional standards and requirements for personal therapeutic training are admitted to work);
• A program has been launched to support young professionals in developing their private practices;
• The educational project “Theory and Practice of Psychoanalysis” is being implemented in collaboration with the K. L. Ushynsky National Pedagogical University;
• Over the past 8 years, more than 16 international conferences and symposia have been held, as well as over 100 original courses and lectures featuring leading specialists from Ukraine and other countries (France, Italy, Argentina, etc.), more details;
• Members of the organization are offered special terms for participation in professional events and support for the development of their practice, more details;
• Agreements on cooperation have been reached with representatives of the French and Argentine psychoanalytic schools to implement joint educational projects.
Prospects for Development
The Union’s priority areas for further development include:
• expanding partnerships with leading Ukrainian and international professional organizations;
• implementing joint educational and research projects;
• improving the quality of psychological and psychotherapeutic services;
• expanding public access to professional psychological care;
• integrating the Ukrainian psychoanalytic community into the international professional community;
• developing a certification system for the organization’s specialists.