Melinda Endrefy
Melinda Endrefy
Melinda Endrefy is a Romanian-born Spanish psychologist specializing in emergency psychology and trauma support. She is known for her humanitarian work in war-affected and disaster zones, including Ukraine, Turkey, Romania, and Morocco. She has coordinated psychological aid missions during the war in Ukraine and is recognized as one of the most experienced international experts actively working in real-time crisis environments.
Endrefy is the President of the World Association of Emergency Psychology in Ukraine, Eurasia representative of the International Federation of Emergency Psychology, and a senior field expert for AMURTEL International.
Education and Credentials
Endrefy holds:
- a Master's degree in Educational Psychology from the University of La Laguna, Spain;
- a Master's in Communication Psychology and Social Influence from Titu Maiorescu University, Romania;
- official Health Psychologist accreditation from the Official College of Psychology of Santa Cruz de Tenerife;
- certification as a Trainer of Trainers by the Government of Romania;
- and is a current PhD researcher at the University of Málaga (Chair of Emergency Studies).
She is a member of GIPEC, the Emergency Psychology group in Tenerife, Spain.
Career
Endrefy began her work in emergency contexts by supporting refugee populations in Romania and later expanded to fieldwork in Turkey and Morocco. In 2022, she joined AMURTEL’s Ukraine mission to provide trauma-informed care and train Ukrainian responders in psychological first aid.
She has led over 30 trainings across Ukraine, in cities including Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, Kherson, and Dnipro. Her sessions have included DSNS emergency service workers, military psychologists, volunteers, and educators.
In Kherson, she trained professionals directly under threat of shelling. Her techniques include breathing regulation, grounding, and trauma-safe communication — often roleplayed in simulated bomb shelter environments.[1]
Humanitarian Impact
Endrefy coordinated psychological outreach efforts in displaced persons shelters, refugee camps, and front-line regions. She introduced innovative methods to engage traumatized children, such as using a large therapy bear named Oscar dressed as a psychologist, to build nonverbal trust.[2]
Her work during the Kherson flooding crisis, earthquakes in Turkey, and war-related trauma in Ukraine has been cited in multiple NGO and government reports.[3][4]
Affiliations
- President, World Association of Emergency Psychology in Ukraine
- Eurasia Representative, FIPE-IFEP
- Emergency Psychology Coordinator in Ukraine for HromadaHub
- Field Expert, AMURTEL International
- Member, GIPEC Emergency Psychology Group (Spain)
- Member, Official College of Psychology of Tenerife
Literary Recognition
Endrefy’s work is chronicled in the 2025 documentary novel Fates, Tarot and War by Ukrainian psychoanalyst Veronika Bohun.[5] The book features field reports, personal testimonies, and first-hand accounts of emergency psychology operations in Ukraine. Endrefy is presented as a central figure in the real-life humanitarian narrative and appears under her own name.
Media and Interviews
She has been featured in international radio and print:
- Interview on emergency mental health support in Ukraine – Radio Jai, Argentina[6]
- AMURTEL Romania’s international press coverage[7]
Notability
Endrefy is recognized as one of the few psychologists globally who combine academic expertise with direct field experience in multiple active crisis zones. Her methods and field protocols have been used in practitioner training for hundreds of Ukrainian professionals and are expected to influence post-war mental health recovery frameworks.
References
- ↑ https://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/emergency-psychology-earns-its-stripes-ukraine-war
- ↑ https://siret.help/ru/amurtel-3/
- ↑ https://www.bsmu.edu.ua/news/fahivchynya-z-ispaniyi-provela-treningy-po-nadannyu-psyhologichnoyi-dopomogy/
- ↑ https://vn.dsns.gov.ua/uk/news/ostanni-novini/psixologi-dsns-vziali-ucast-u-treningu-rannje-vtrucannia-z-ekstrennoiu-psixologijeiu-v-ukrayini
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH5M2W7J
- ↑ https://www.radiojai.com/index.php/2023/03/15/141115/melinda-endrefy-psicologa-de-emergencia-en-ucrania/
- ↑ https://amurtel.ro/en/amurtels-emergency-psychologist-interviewed-on-spanish-tv/
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