The Trauma of Displacement

We spoke with Valentyna Petrenko, psychologist, ISST member, EMDRIA International Association member, and author of peer-reviewed publications, who has worked extensively with migrants affected by war and displacement.

Why did you choose to focus your work on migrants and refugees?

For me, this isn’t just a profession — it’s a mission. I witnessed firsthand what people experience during evacuation, in refugee camps, and at border crossings. I helped them take their first steps toward rebuilding their lives.

Migrants often face layered stressors: the loss of home and social ties, survivor’s guilt, cultural shock, and profound loneliness. My experience in Ukrainian displacement centers and later in the U.S. showed me that this group needs specialists trained in modern trauma-recovery methods — and such professionals are still critically scarce worldwide.

That is why I chose to dedicate myself to this field.

What makes your work unique compared to other mental-health professionals?

My specialization centers on multi-layered migrant trauma, a field with only a limited number of experts — even in the United States. It requires a rare combination of competencies: PTSD treatment, migration-adaptation psychology, cultural sensitivity, EMDR therapy, and Schema Therapy.

Over the past years, I have led more than 130 group programs and conducted over 4,000 sessions with individuals who survived both war and migration. I developed stabilization and group-adaptation protocols that are now successfully used across the U.S. and Europe.

My work is unique because it unites humanitarian field practice, academic research, and evidence-based therapy tailored specifically to people who need support right now.

You work across several countries. How does trauma differ in the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe?

Trauma itself is universal, but its expression is shaped by environment.

In Ukraine and among refugees in Europe, the predominant experience is acute war-related trauma — loss, threat to life, and constant uncertainty. In the U.S., the trauma is different: the trauma of adaptation — losing one’s identity, isolation, cultural disconnection, challenges with trust, and the emotional dissonance of starting over.

Many migrants in America tell me: “I’m safe now, but it still hurts.” This is a unique form of trauma where the external world is safe, but the internal system continues to operate in survival mode.

My goal is to ensure that my methods remain effective in all of these contexts — and truly help people heal.

What can you bring to the American mental-health system?

The U.S. has a large and growing immigrant population. Many experience PTSD, chronic stress, grief, and loss of emotional grounding. But there are very few specialists who can simultaneously address trauma, cultural factors, migration experience, and the aftereffects of war.

I bring several key strengths:

– extensive practical experience in humanitarian trauma settings;

– internationally recognized training (EMDRIA/ISST standards);

– original migrant-adaptation protocols;

– the ability to work fluently with Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking communities;

– proven group-therapy programs that effectively reduce PTSD symptoms.

Together, these elements make my work particularly relevant within the U.S. mental-health landscape.

Why did you choose to pursue academic research, and which work are you most proud of?

I turned to academic research because traditional therapeutic methods often fail to account for the complex, multi-layered nature of migrant trauma — loss, relocation, cultural rupture, identity shift, isolation, and fear of the future.

I am most proud of my English-language publications:

– “Schema Therapy for Forced Migrants” (ULIRS)

– “Schema Therapy in Addressing Betrayal Trauma” (ULMDI)

These works have become part of the international professional conversation. They are used by clinicians working with Ukrainian and other migrant communities across the U.S., Europe, and Canada.

For me, this is proof that personal experience can grow into a meaningful contribution to the global mental-health field.

What gives you the greatest sense of fulfillment in your work?

When someone who could not sleep, who lived in fear and constant anxiety, finally says: “I feel like I’m beginning to live again.”

Watching a person regain their ability to feel, connect, dream, and rebuild their life — that is the most meaningful outcome of all.

This year you received international recognition — the Queen Anna Order “Honor of the Homeland.” What does this award mean to you?

At first, I thought the message was a mistake. But when I saw the official confirmation, I realized it was not only a personal recognition — it was acknowledgment of the entire field of psychological support for migrants, a field I proudly represent.

I am not just a therapist. I am a specialist who bridges practice, humanitarian work, research, and the training of fellow professionals.

To me, this award is a reminder that anyone — even someone from a country torn by war — can create something valuable for the world. It is a profound honor and a powerful motivation to keep moving forward.