Two more peer psychosocial support workshops were held earlier this month as part of the “Supporting the children and youth wellbeing and child rights education” project, with financial support from the International Women’s Club (IWC), aimed at improving the mental health of children residing in the Institution for Children and Youth in Belgrade. The workshops were conducted by a peer educator and member of the DX Club at the Center for Pedagogical Development (CPD), Olga Dević, under the supervision of psychologist Tamara Tomašević.
The workshop topics focused on introducing children to constructive ways of coping with various emotions and expressing them in different contexts. Through the workshops, children had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with strategies for dealing with basic emotions and to attempt to apply them in different situations through conversation and play.
Additionally, the children had the chance to engage in group exercises and interactive games that helped them better understand and recognize emotions in others. Through bodily manifestations such as facial expressions, gestures, and body language, children learned how to interpret and interpret emotions in others.
Furthermore, the workshops provided children with a space to express their own emotions and gain self-confidence in expressing them. Through conversation and various creative activities, children learned to identify, name, and express their emotions in a healthy and constructive manner.
The children shared their impressions from the workshops verbally: “I never thought that we show the same emotion in so many different ways,” “I wish people could recognize when I’m sad even before I say it, like they did here at the workshop,” “This was great, when can we have another conversation like this?”
