"I will now be able to offer high-quality psychological care to our clients."  

"This tool is both a novice psychologist's dream and a 20-year experienced professional's dream." 

These are just a few impressions of the participants of the Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA) training, organized in October 2023 with the support of the Government of Japan, provided through the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS), as part of a project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Seventeen professionals working with victims and potential victims of gender-based violence and refugees - psychologists, social workers, teachers and lawyers from seven specialised organisations from all regions of Moldova - learned for 10 days how to help their beneficiaries with the tools offered by the CETA. This counselling programme, developed by specialists from Johns Hopkins University in the USA and piloted in several countries where there is a shortage of mental health services and professionals trained to provide them, enables professionals to assist people struggling with alcoholism, violence, as well as mild forms of anxiety and depression.

CETA is a short cognitive-behavioural approach containing eight different elements covered in modules that can be practised even by professionals without psychological training. The basic training is just a first step to obtain international certification. The trainers, who are entitled to train specialists in the use of the CETA counselling methodology, are from Ukraine.

"This approach is particularly attractive because of its short duration and ability to follow the dynamics of therapy. The techniques learned and practiced during the training are effective in working with anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction and violence. These are exactly the problems that beneficiaries deal with at the "Rezonans" Centre. Thanks to the skills acquired during the training, I will now be able to provide our clients with high-quality psychological assistance," says Svetlana Belova, psychologist at the "Rezonans" Centre in Tiraspol.

"Professionals who will promote CETA among those who need support in overcoming complicated life situations will choose to develop individual skills and competencies. These will highlight the potential of the beneficiary's inner resources and the value of their own effort invested in overcoming the moment of crisis," says Ecaterina Boboc, a psychologist in the mobile team of CREDO organization in Ungheni municipality.

"This tool is the dream of a beginner psychologist as well as a specialist with 20 years of experience, because it provides detailed instructions for intervention in cases of trauma, depression, anxiety, problems related to alcohol consumption, drugs, problems with personal security, suicide or interpersonal violence. The way in which each chapter takes the specialist's intervention in each case step by step makes the work much easier and minimises any mistakes," says Ionuț Deleu, coordinator of the mobile team of the Artemida centre in Drochia.

"CETA is a very valuable tool for any clinical psychologist. It provides scientifically validated techniques and methods so necessary to improve the functioning of affected clients with measurable results. Being a directive approach, it provides a lot of structure to the psychologist's interventions, while offering the client a framework full of empathy and unconditional acceptance," says Sanda Rosca, psychologist at the Centre for Assistance and Protection of Victims and Potential Victims of Trafficking in Persons in Chișinău.

In another UNDP project, for the first time in Moldova, 13 specialists from institutions working with survivors of gender-based violence in Chișinău, Edineț, Comrat and Căușeni participated in a similar training.