PECULIARITIES OF APPLYING COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY AND TRAUMATHERAPY TO SUPPORT HELPING PROFESSIONALS

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the psychological challenges faced by helping professionals in Ukraine during the ongoing full-scale war. It substantiates the relevance and potential of an integrated psychotherapeutic approach that combines elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and traumatherapy to support and maintain the mental health of specialists engaged in helping professions. The study focuses on the key determinants of professional distress, including emotional exhaustion, secondary traumatization, burnout, compassion fatigue, and the psychological burden caused by high responsibility and limited resources in wartime and post-war contexts.

Based on a theoretical analysis of contemporary research, the article emphasizes that the integration of CBT and traumatherapy constitutes a promising direction for both theoretical exploration and practical application. The combined model addresses the complex mechanisms of stress and trauma processing by incorporating cognitive restructuring of maladaptive beliefs, the development of constructive coping strategies, and the use of body-oriented and sensorimotor stabilization techniques. Such integration not only facilitates the normalization of psychophysiological states but also contributes to reducing the manifestations of burnout, restoring emotional balance, and enhancing adaptive behavioral functioning among helping professionals.

The article argues that this integrative approach can significantly strengthen professional resilience, prevent the chronification of distress, and improve emotional self-regulation and empathy in individuals whose work involves continuous exposure to human suffering and crisis situations. The proposed model may serve as a basis for developing targeted psychological support programs and supervision systems for professionals in healthcare, psychology, social work, and crisis assistance.

The practical recommendations outlined in the paper are aimed at optimizing the professional adaptation and long-term effectiveness of helping professionals in conditions of chronic stress and trauma exposure. The results of the theoretical analysis highlight the necessity of implementing such integrative psychotherapeutic frameworks within educational and organizational settings to ensure the sustainability of mental health and professional functioning in the helping professions.