“At many times throughout their lives, children will feel the world has turned topsy-turvy. It’s not the ever-present smile that will help them feel secure. It’s knowing that love can hold many feelings, including sadness, and that the can count on the people they love to be with them until the world turns right side up again.” - Fred Rogers.
My heart is with you all. Our community is devastated by the effects of Hurricane Helene. Just know that I’m here for you. Please reach out to me with any needs or questions.
Please contact me directly and I’ll share a list of pro-bono (for free) therapists from around NC offering short-term trauma therapy either in-person (if evacuated to their area of NC) or via telehealth to clients here in WNC.
Below are some child mental health resources that might be useful in the days ahead.
Re: the importance of sharing feelings with your children, and checking in on their feelings. To all the clients reading this, we start every session with a feelings check-in as a reminder that “our heart can hold many feelings at once.” Processing grief, particularly traumatic grief, is a dual process: we are processing the trauma (loss oriented) while simultaneously finding ways to move forward (restoration oriented). Post-traumatic growth can emerge from great struggle. But first we must allow ourselves to grieve, process, express ourselves fully.
https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2024/10/03/asheville-schools-are-out-after-helene-how-to-help-kids-get-by/75464999007/
Re: helping children cope with the big T’s (big trauma) and small T’s (smaller trauma).
https://piploproductions.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/TrinkaandSam_hurricane_eng_2021Final.pdf
A really wonderful short story about hurricane related trauma, with pointers at the end for parents. Created by experts in child trauma at the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
https://piploproductions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/OnceIWasVeryVeryScared.web_.4.pdf
Another really wonderful short story about animals who talk about feeling scared during a storm. Created by experts in child trauma at the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
May we all find small ways to transform our struggle into something of fearless kindness and togetherness.
With love,
Jillian