The Joseph Conrad Program in Narrative Processing: Research and Results from Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University

Narrative processing for war trauma blends structured creative writing, bibliotherapy, and narrative reflection.

The Joseph Conrad Program in Narrative Processing documents one of the most innovative psychosocial initiatives to emerge from the crucible of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Developed through a unique collaboration between a group of authors and the Scientific Institute for Mental Health at Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University, the programme explores how structured writing, storytelling, and guided narrative reflection can help individuals endure, reinterpret, and ultimately transform the psychological impact of trauma.

Drawing on cutting-edge research and direct field experience, this volume presents the origins, theory, and early results of Narrative Processing (NP)—a developing therapeutic method that blends creative writing instruction, case-study-based bibliotherapy, and elements from established narrative and exposure therapies. Through a combination of academic essays, personal reflections, participant writings, and empirical data, the book captures the profound ways in which individuals affected by war—veterans, students, psychologists, internally displaced people, and civilians—use narrative to reclaim coherence, agency, and meaning.

Chapters explore the psychological mechanisms of storytelling, the role of identity reconstruction, the neuroscience underpinning narrative integration, and the challenge of delivering trauma-informed education in an active warzone. The empirical section includes diagnostic findings from the programme’s first cohorts, offering rare insight into anxiety dynamics, coping strategies, and emerging post-traumatic growth among participants.

Interwoven with these analyses are deeply human stories written by Ukrainians themselves—intimate accounts of loss, resilience, fear, love, and the everyday heroism of survival.

Combining scholarly rigour with emotional immediacy, The Joseph Conrad Program in Narrative Processing stands as both a foundational text for future clinical development and a testament to the power of narrative to illuminate, connect, and heal—even in the darkest of times.

John Gordon Sennett is a US citizen who has lived in Ukraine since 2020 and who has stayed throughout the invasion. He has volunteered since Day 3 of the invasion in the information space for United24; Ukrainian PR Army; and independently written for several outlets. John served briefly in the US Army and Marines. He is originally from New Jersey.

Natasha Sennett is a US citizen with roots in Ukraine. Her father is Ukrainian, and her mother is Belarusian. Natasha spent her summers with her grandparents in the Vinnytsia Region (Ukraine) and grew up in Belarus. She has a Master’s Degree in History and Teaching English as a Second Language. She currently teaches at an international school in Kyiv.