Special: Helping Children & Parents When Tragedy Strikes

Original Air Date: May 16, 2018

"We can't promise to keep kids safe from tragedy, but we can promise to have a plan." - Lisa Dion

Tragedy is an inevitability of life, no matter how much we wish it wasn't. No one is immune, including kids. But heartbreak can bring about a myriad of emotions, inside and outside of the playroom. We can't always keep kids safe, but we can reduce their fear of the unknown.

Here's what you'll hear in this episode:

1:40 How do we help children who have lost their sense of safety or the sense of safety in the community?

2:25 How do we help parents allay their own fears?

3:24 The importance of not rescuing

3:50 What are some dangers of rescuing the child?

5:42 We can’t always keep kids safe no matter how much we wish we could

6:45 How can we help a child find safety internally?

7:49 The goal of healing is to empower and help the child regain their neuroception of safety

8:50 Why should we avoid making assumptions that people feel a certain way about tragic events?

10:30 Tragedy comes with a full range of emotions, both expected and unexpected

12:18 Encouraging parents to discuss the full range of emotions

12:42 Emotions are fleeting and can change day by day or many times a day

13:20 Parents and therapists must honor whatever feelings emerge

14:20 How do we discover what part of the tragedy is most traumatic for the child?

16:24 Helping a child integrate means avoiding blame

18:00 How do we allow children to access their deeper level of emotions?

18:39 Giving yourself permission to be open to different reactions

21:19 Why is having a plan so vital?

21:45 How can we help parents form this plan?

22:50 How do we maximize the sense of safety?

Episode resource:

• Tragedy: Why No One-Emotion-Fits-All Blog

Podcast Resources: 

• Synergetic Play Therapy Institute
• Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website
• FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey 
• Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity

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