The Story of TA HugsA professional gathering for the TA community of Ukraine. The first meeting, held in 2023, has become a good tradition for the Ukrainian TA community. The Beginning. In 2022, when the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, TA therapists, trainers, and students — like millions of Ukrainians — found themselves scattered across different parts of the world.The pandemic of 2021–2022 had already replaced warm in-person gatherings with monotonous online meetings, and now, meeting together again seemed like something from another life. John McNeel. At that time, Nataliia Isaieva, one of the founders of USTA, who had gone to Australia after the invasion, was looking for ways to support herself and others. Many people wanted to help Ukraine. One of them was John McNeel. Seeking his support, Nataliia asked him: “How? How can I support others, when the pain is too great, the grief too heavy — how can we support one another?” John replied: “Do what you do best. What do you do best of all?”As they spoke, Nataliia realized that what she does best is bringing people together, building connections, and organizing. Thinking about what is most valuable in uniting people, she understood: we need a live meeting.“But I am so far from Ukraine!” she said. And John answered: “You are not alone.” And so the idea of a general meeting for Ukrainians was born.Building a Team. To make this idea a reality, a team was needed. Nataliia invited Olena Kryvonis, who at that time was in Ukraine, in resilient Kharkiv. Olena, an experienced organizer who saw live meetings as a breath of fresh air, gladly embraced the idea. Together, they began thinking: Where could we hold it? What was needed? Who could be involved?The location was chosen: Warsaw, which at the time had become a hub for Ukrainians wherever they were going, their path often passed through the city.Tony White. In addition, Tony White had been invited to Warsaw to conduct a Redecision Marathon, and Nataliia was already helping organize the event. The organizers of Tony’s meeting supported the idea, and the venue in Warsaw was confirmed. Iryna Zaiets had already been living in Warsaw for several months, working online, and experiencing very similar feelings — disconnection from Ukraine, from normal life, and a catastrophic lack of live contact. Iryna gladly joined the team, took on part of the local organizing work in Warsaw, and it was she who suggested the name: “TA Hugs”. We all missed hugs. TA missed hugs. Hence this play on words: ObIymy TA – ObIymY TA. And so the name was born. The idea of the first gathering was to create a space for everyone whom the war had scattered across different corners of the world, as well as for those who had stayed in Ukraine. This was true for the team, for the community, and for the Ukrainian people as a whole.Roksana Yashchuk, President of USTA, supported the project, and together with Anastasiia Horokhovska, USTA Delegate, helped TA Hugs receive a grant from EATA. This made the meeting more accessible and was inspiring in itself as a sign of such meaningful support. And indeed, our community began to grow.