Psychological First Aid and Creative Techniques - PACT

5 days. 8 countries. 1 shared goal 🎯

A Training course held on April 20–24 brought together youth workers to explore how to support young people through creativity and Psychological First Aid — and it truly exceeded all expectations ✨

Participants from 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇱🇹 Lithuania, 🇲🇩 Moldova, 🇺🇦 Ukraine, 🇬🇪 Georgia, and 🇦🇲 Armenia came together in Yerevan to discover how art can become a powerful tool for emotional support in youth work 🎨🎭🎵

👉 Swipe to see how it was

From grounding exercises to clown therapy 🤡
From texture collages to designing our own PFA sessions 🖼️ From dance therapy to nature journaling 🌿

Each day went deeper — into practice, into self-reflection, and into understanding what it really means to support young people with care and intention 💛

And now?
We take it all back home — turning ideas into action and learning into impact 🌱

Huge thanks to everyone who made this journey so meaningful 🙏

The PACT project is implemented by The Academy of Fine Arts of Naples (Italy), (Ukraine), (Greece), .institute (Lithuania), (Spain), (Georgia), .md (Moldova), and (Armenia), and is financed by the European Union.

Explore our Digital Kit: "Connection Through Painting on Wood" 🎨✨

How can we support young people in times of stress and uncertainty? The answer is here — the PACT Digital Kit is now available for your work.

What’s inside:
🎨 Creative techniques: A structured art-based psychosocial practice combining sensory interaction with natural materials and free painting.
🧠 Methodology: Detailed theoretical foundations and a step-by-step guide to the "Connection Through Painting on Wood" technique.
🗣 Safe facilitation: Practical recommendations on creating a safe space, using supportive language, and maintaining professional boundaries.
🌱 Emotional support tools: Exercises for sensory grounding, non-verbal self-expression, and restoring a sense of control.

💡 The goal: To provide a safe, non-intrusive resource for emotional stabilization and self-support.

🔗 Download the Digital Kit here: https://surl.li/iimfzg

🧠 Training of Trainers on Psychological First Aid (PFA)

From 18 to 24 January 2026, a Training of Trainers on Psychological First Aid took place in Chișinău, Moldova, within the PACT project. The training brought together youth workers and trainers from Italy, Greece, Spain, Lithuania, Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia.

Throughout the week, participants practiced Psychological First Aid techniques, worked with real-life scenarios, exchanged experience, and discussed how to support young people affected by stress, displacement, and war. The programme combined practical workshops, group reflection, and sessions on cooperation and dissemination to ensure the methods can be used in local communities.

👉 Swipe through the carousel to see how it was.

The PACT project is implemented by The Academy of Fine Arts of Naples (Italy) , Young Agents of Change (Ukraine) , Action Synergy (Greece) , AY Institute (Lithuania) , Universidad de Sevilla (Spain) , Georgian Youth Development Association - GYDA (Georgia) , MilleniuM Training and Development Institute (Moldova) , and Youth Development Center of Armenia (Armenia) and is financed by the European Union.

📢 We’re happy to share our new Creative Toolkit with you!

It brings together psychological first aid and simple creative techniques that are easy to use, friendly, and safe.

Inside the toolkit, you’ll find:
✨ creative activities that help young people express emotions and feel more balanced;
✨ clear guidance on when and how to use these techniques;
✨ tips for choosing the right activity in different situations;
✨ a short section on self-care for youth workers.

All techniques are designed to help young people feel calmer, supported, and connected — without pressure or complicated steps.

🌍 Download the toolkit here: https://surl.lu/kfvisr

💙 World Mental Health Day

Mental health is not only about the absence of illness. It’s about balance, self-care, and the courage to ask for help when things get difficult.

We are all living through times of change, uncertainty, and loss. Yet support often begins with the simplest things — human connection, a kind word, attention, breathing, and creativity.

Almost a year ago, we launched the PACT (Psychological First Aid and Creative Techniques) project to help young people, volunteers, and youth workers learn how to provide psychological first aid to those in need 🫂

As part of the project, we’ve already developed a Psychological First Aid Manual, which explains how to respond in crisis situations, understand others’ emotions, and use creative approaches — art, movement, and music — to restore calm and inner balance.
📘 Download the manual here: https://shorturl.at/1rtAF
💻 On our website https://pactproject.eu/ , you can also learn more about the PACT team and find additional resources created to support young people across Europe.

💚✨ Remember: caring for yourself is not selfish — it’s essential.
Only when we’re replenished can we truly support others.

📢 NEW: PACT Manual on Psychological First Aid 🎉

We’re excited to announce the launch of our PACT Manual — a practical guide to supporting young people in times of acute stress.

🔹 Learn what Psychological First Aid (PFA) is — and how it can be applied by anyone, not just mental health professionals.
🔹 Discover how creative practices can help prevent long-term effects of trauma.
🔹 Get step-by-step techniques and strategies for real-life situations.

🛠 Designed for youth workers, educators, volunteers, and anyone who wants to make a difference.

📖 Manual available in 8 languages: https://shorturl.at/qO22p