On Thursday, February 24, Russian president Putin announced a "special military operation" to "demilitarise and denazify" Ukraine. Minutes later, missiles and airstrikes struck throughout Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, shortly followed by a large ground invasion from multiple directions. In response, Ukrainian president Zelenskyy enacted martial law and general mobilization.

As we witness the atrocities of violence from afar, you might think: Why should I care? How can the current events affect me? Economically, we've seen gas prices increase due to oil sanctions against Russia. Mentally, members of our community can be experiencing an increase in anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder due to the conflict continuing every day. As our services continue to grow, we will slowly see clients who are beginning to show symptoms due to family members or mutual connections to Russia or Ukraine.

Dr. Polina shares what to expect and what we can do as the Ukranian War is brought into our offices. She also opens up with Kelly about her first response to the war, how she overcame her initial grief, and the support received by her communities.