Support for Slupsk; Trauma Support for the Ukrainian Refugees in Poland

This interview offers direct insight and updates to what is being offered from a trauma-informed tapping perspective to those directly affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine. We are honored to have spent time with two amazing women who have dedicated the past 6 months to overcoming the challenges and creating a much needed service to a community in Poland that has received thousands of Ukrainian refugees and is working so hard to offer a safe place for so many individuals and families. In this interview, we explore their personal stories, challenges they have faced and overcome, inspiring moments, the support they have received, and their hopes and plans for the ongoing work that is needed in this community.

Aga Kehinde and Jessica Mór, of Tapping Team UK, developed the ‘Support for Slupsk’ project that has delivered training to more than 600 people working for the services of the town of Slupsk, Poland who are coming into direct contact with the new Ukrainian refugee population. The training involved participants learning tapping and somatic trauma relief tools, the neuro-biology of how they work, and the confidence and skills to use and share this knowledge and tools as they move through this challenging time. The aim of the project was to support and resource these service providers so they could better support the refugees they are serving. By following this model they have increased a thousandfold the number of people now able to benefit from these easy to learn, simple to apply self-regulation tools. They have also delivered stabilising therapeutic experiences using tapping tools in creative and age-appropriate ways, for the 500 children and their carers of three Ukrainian orphanages now relocated to Slupsk. The project’s aim throughout has been to encourage non-dependence by focusing on growing knowledgeable and empowered networks who will continue the post-traumatic growth process with self-belief, confidence, and hope post-intervention.

Tapping Team UK provides support, education, and training for communities and organisations who need to return to calm, find clarity, and move towards positive growth and resiliency during or after a challenge or crises. The tools and techniques they teach work directly on the brainstem and limbic system to regulate neuro-biological dysfunction, thereby clearing and activating the cognitive mind for clear thought, right action, and greater resilience. There is a growing body of thought, including research and clinical studies to indicate that Tapping (EFT) and other cognitive-somatic practices are among the most efficient and effective strategies for stabilisation, relief, and resiliency for those who are experiencing stress and trauma and those who support them.

Aga Kehinde is an EFT Practitioner, deputy chair for the EFTi Research committee, and a Cancer Educator & Health Empowerment Coach. She supports individuals who have experienced serious life challenges to navigate through the chaos and develop well-being strategies to reclaim purpose and meaning in their lives. Aga has 20 years of experience as a clinical nurse specialist in oncology and oncology research and is the Health and Wellbeing Lead for the Oncology Division at the Royal Surrey Hospital UK. She supports the British Society for Integrative Oncology Council to promote the integration of conventional, psychological, nutritional, lifestyle, and complementary medicine in cancer care. Aga also chairs the cancer patients support group MelaNoMore. Aga is passionate about integrating EFT to support people, especially in the public sector. She runs multiple projects in and out of the NHS that address emotional and psychological needs to improve patients' experience and staff wellbeing. Aga is a founder of the ‘Arukah’ project which works with prisons and probation services to promote a trauma awareness culture and introduce EFT to the residents and staff. Aga understands the importance and impact of our interconnectivity, and that stress and trauma travel. This philosophy influences the way we listen and respond to communities, organisations, and crises. We aim for the solutions we deliver to meet the needs of all stakeholders to ensure genuine and durable outcomes.

Jessica Mór is a Certified EFTi Trainer and Advanced EFTi Practitioner, artist, writer and global nomad. She is a qualified educator and skilled facilitator who is drawn to working with internal and external systems, and who loves creating experiences that support individuals and communities to pursue strategic, educational, and therapeutic goals. Jessica is an expert by experience in mental health and trauma recovery and has pursued extensive study and training in recovery from traumatic experiences. Her full recovery from the mental and physical aftermath of extreme and enduring trauma in childhood is a testament to the power and efficacy of the tools we teach. Jessica celebrates her DID nature for the wisdom and creativity it brings, and appreciates having deep insight into the healing power and intelligence that lies behind trauma-induced conditions and their protective systems. She knows that supporting the process of healing stress, trauma and mental health best comes from a position of enabling people to re-connect to their innate power, insight, and wisdom. Jessica’s belief that given the right resources, tools, and support, recovery and post-traumatic growth is possible for everyone no matter what they have experienced underpins TTUK’s vision and mission.

You can contact Aga and Jessica via their websites, www.agakehinde.com and www.eftexpertise.com. Or follow the progress of the Support for Slupsk project at www.tappingteam.uk

Acknowledgements

This project could not have happened without the generous support of all who made donations; thank you, everyone. We are so grateful to Lori Leyden, Ulf Sandstroem, Gunilla Hamne, and Kristin Miller for their knowledge, experience, and mentoring. We deeply appreciate the encouragement, practical help, and fundraising support we have received from the EFT International community, ACEP, Innersource/Eden Method, Ade Kehinde, La Mór, and Gwyneth Moss. Enormous thanks go to our Cultural Translator, Olga Gazdar, our children’s workshop collaborator Gillian Watt and our volunteer on the ground, Ivona Olofsson.

This interview is sponsored by Tapping out of Trauma Continuing Education Seminars. www.tappingoutoftrauma.com with foundational trainings starting the first week of every September and March with instructors Craig Weiner and Suzanne Fageol.