Short-Term Interventions for Overcoming Emotional Confusion: What to Do When Having Many Problems Is Yet Another Problem?

Abstract

Background and Aim of Study: The full-scale war in Ukraine causes the population to experience numerous stressors that are layered on top of each other (forced displacement, losses, constant threats and existing traumas). This leads to emotional confusion (a state of reduced control of one’s own emotions), fatigue, narrowing of attention and impaired self-validation, which complicates self-understanding and self-care. All this poses numerous problems for the psychotherapist. They are due to the fact that standard psychotherapeutic programs may not be effective enough when clients are overwhelmed by the intensity of their problems. At the same time, assistance has to be provided within an extremely limited time frame. The aim of the study: to propose an integrated short-term intervention strategy for psychological counseling and psychotherapy to address emotional confusion in clients who have experienced multiple crises during wartime, utilizing the strengths of trauma-sensitive mindfulness, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and self-compassion-based approaches. Conclusions: The integrative approach allows therapists and clients to create a snapshot of current difficulties. It involves the sequential application of elements from different modalities: grounding techniques (EMDR/Mindfulness), internal state description (DBT), external stressor inventory, identification of key maladaptive beliefs (EMDR), and the use of stabilization or reprocessing techniques. This structured, brief intervention helps clients describe their condition, understand the sources of emotional confusion, practice self-compassion, and prioritize problems. Implemented over 1–2 sessions, this approach helps clients move beyond emotional confusion and motivates adaptive change, thereby instilling hope.