BREAKWATER RESOURCES
PROJECT BREAKWATER
CARE FOR THE CAREGIVERS FROM GESTALT THERAPISTS WORLDWIDE
From the Editors:
Thank you so very much for being willing to give your time and effort and probably a big chunk of your heart.
I don't know how this is going to
work out. We will mail to all the Eastern and Central European
countries mostly involved. Experience shows me to then keep on
mailing from time to time.
Please keep sending us your resources.
Let me know if there are any problems or if you and your colleagues have any other suggestions.
-- Molly
For Becca Thatcher, M.S.W. and Molly Rawle, M.S.W.
RESOURCE LIST
this is a work in
progress. Please continue to send us your suggestions and
links. We will continue to update this list with new listings and
will keep you notified.
Please send your resources to: Molly at gestaltnews@gestalt.org
We need country specific resources, both for the refugees and the
Caregivers from our community who are helping them. Please send
us resources in the Language of your Country if you can.
Webinars and seminars: If you or your institute or organization
have experience and useful information for the issues of working with
Refugees, consider scheduling a webinar or online teaching opportunity
for our colleagues working in Central and Eastern European countries
with Ukrainian refugees.
Important considerations:
We are working on the
issues of Low cost or free Translation and will let you all know what
we find out. Please let us know if you have any suggestions.
Also, remember the time
difference --- some of you have named a time which might be in the
middle of the night in Central and Eastern Europe.
NEW: HOUSING AND SHELTER FOR REFUGEES:
GENERAL INFORMATION
MSN - What can I do to help?https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/what-can-i-do-to-help-ukraine-how-to-host-a-ukrainian-refugee-and-where-to-donate-clothes-money-and-items/ar-AAV68bx
https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=links+for+people+volunteering+to+take+in+Ukrainian+Refugees&atb=v266-1&ia=webMap of countries accepting Ukrainian Refugees:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/26/map-which-countries-are-accepting-ukrainian-refugees-interactiveUKRAINE TAKE SHELTER
https://www.ukrainetakeshelter.com/
What is Ukraine Take Shelter?
UkraineTakeShelter.com is an independent platform connecting Ukrainian refugees with potential hosts and housing.
This
website is a public bulletin. We encourage everyone with spare space to
post a listing and to mark their listing as filled once they have
successfully taken in refugees.
UNITED KINGDOM
Sponsors
housing refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine following Russia's
invasion, will be paid £350 a month tax-free in return for providing a
rent-free home for a minimum of six months.
When will the Homes for Ukraine scheme launch in the UK?
The government scheme went live on Friday, March 18, 2022.
On March 14, 2022, the government announced that the Homes for Ukraine website was live for sponsors to record their interest.
Housing
Secretary Michael Gove, who helped launched the scheme's website, said:
"The courage shown by the Ukrainian people in the face of devastation
caused by the invasion of their great country is nothing short of
remarkable."
How can I apply to help Ukrainian refugees?
Brits wanting to open their homes to those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine can apply online.
The government scheme is live and can be accessed via the Homes for Ukraine government website.
There, sponsors can choose to register their interest either as an individual or as an organisation.
After registering, sponsors wishing to house named individuals can fill in a form requesting to sponsor them.
Sponsors will simply need to fill in details of the Ukrainians they are offering to house.
https://homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk/https://www.gov.uk/register-interest-homes-ukraineHomes for Ukraine: register your interest
If you want to offer a home to people fleeing Ukraine, you can become a ‘sponsor’ as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Use this service to register your interest in becoming a sponsor. You can register as an individual or as an organisation.
You can read more about the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-scheme-frequently-asked-questions
https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/britons-opening-homes-ukrainians-350-per-month-thank-you-1514050?ico=in-line_linkIRELAND
https://www.rte.ie/news/ukraine/2022/0307/1285002-questions-ukraine-ireland-refugees/Where do I register to accommodate Ukrainian refugees?
Go
on to the Irish Red Cross website on IrishRedCross.ie and look for the
register of pledges. The direct link to the register is
https://registerofpledges.redcross.ieUNITED STATES
https://www.state.gov/refugee-admissions/reception-and-placement/https://www.islawfirm.com/options-for-ukrainian-refugees-and-ukrainian-nationals-currently-in-the-united-states/Worldwide
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/26/map-which-countries-are-accepting-ukrainian-refugees-interactive
Resources for Clinicians Dealing with the Mental Health Impact of the War in Ukraine
Resources
Some important tips for clinicians to help protect the mental health of
refugees, immigrants, and those displaced during crisis situations
include:
* Ensure their safety, both physical and that of the
treasured belongings they may have brought (e.g., locked trunks, etc.).
* Connect them to loved ones when possible.
* Use calming techniques that are nuanced to their culture.
* Be alert to usual illnesses present in their population - from diabetes to hypertension to schizophrenia.
* Remain aware and sensitive to trauma history.
* Be aware that children need the presence of
caregivers and clear responses to their questions, but not to be
overloaded with frightening information.
* Helping people with problem-solving is caring and supportive.
* Recruit "helpers" to assist others and have them extend your care.
The Center
for the Study of Traumatic Stress at the Uniformed Services
University also offers resources for psychiatrists and other healthcare
professionals, humanitarian responders, and community leaders helping
support those impacted:
How to Help
The following are a few of the organizations supporting Ukrainian citizens and others affected by the war through volunteer
work or charitable donations:
FOR HELPERS IN THE FRONTLINE
From:Erik Tresse
Gestaltterapeut MNGF
terapi@eriktresse.no
www.eriktresse.noterapi@eriktresse.no
www.eriktresse.no
For helpers in the frontline in the neighboring countries, at refugee
reception centres, at camps etc. the situation may demand that they
work day-and-night, maybe experiencing overwhelming situations, very
stressful dilemmas and/or emotionally disturbing episodes that may need
debriefing.
In crises people have a tendency to take action, and those who find a
meaningful task or thing to do tend to do better than those who are
forced to be passive, wait and worry.
Having a safe place to Debriefe, ground, re-connect to your emotional
body and recalibrating, shaking off the anxiety, and processing the
feelings of powerlessness may be something needed.
This can maybe be offered through an ‘emotional support for supporters’
list/hotline’ and/or ‘Free grounding and emotional refill meditations’
in groups, and/or individual sessions one-on-one.
Erik Tresse
Gestaltterapeut MNGF
Erik Tresse <tresse@online.no>
Overview: Trauma
Informed Care with
Refugee and Immigrant
Populations
https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Secondary-Trauma-for-those-Working-with-Immigrants-and-Refugees-webinar-Oct-232018.pdf
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Faculty and members of the community from the
Gestalt Institute of Ireland
are offering a virtual, confidential space for members of the Gestalt
community who would welcome support for their work with people
suffering in the current traumatising field of war, displacement and
loss. Our intent is to co-create a virtual space for embodied
contact and dialogue. It is our belief that through contact and
connection some of the adverse impact of a traumatising field can be
minimised.
Self-care is integral to our ability to care for others, particularly
when suffering is present so we offer this as a space for refuge, rest
and reflection. We will be attending to the affect, sensations and
feelings of the lived experience. By reflecting on how you,
and we are ‘selfing’ in the here and now we hope to begin a process of
restoration and healing.
This ‘embodied supervisory space’ will be facilitated by experienced,
accredited members of our Gestalt Institute. 60 minute individual
sessions or 90 minute group sessions are being offered. Groups
will not necessarily have the same membership on each occasion and will
comprise a maximum of four participants excluding the group supervisor
(s).
The Gestalt Institute of Ireland is a relatively small organisation so
we have a limited number of time slots. If you want to book
a place: Please email the following details to
admin@gestaltinstitute.ie
· In the heading of your email write : Embodied restorative, supportive ‘supervisory’ space.
· In the body of the email: Provide your full
name (if possible), your email address, and detail which
languages you speak.
· Please indicate if you are willing to be a translator in a group.
AVAILABLE ON FACEBOOK:
My Mental Health Guide
The MyMentalHealth.Guide website was developed by the National
Institute of Mental Health of the Czech Republic in cooperation with
other national and international organizations .
https://www.mymentalhealth.guide/?fbclid=IwAR1tPZko6MDM6mPLUk1JrdJhvYXzxChTRPqzUqHxGs9EhFCyp6W4DWIzXHA
How Can I Learn More?
ICRC and IFRC have a comprehensive list of resources, including maps,
press releases, videos, photos and stories, further expanding upon Red
Cross efforts in the region.
INTERNATIONAL COMMITEE OF THE RED CROSS
https://www.icrc.org/en/where-we-work/europe-central-asia/ukraine
https://www.ifrc.org/emergency/ukraine-and-impacted-countries
The ICRC has published a list of resources for people needing urgent
help in Ukraine, including medical care, evacuation support, mental
health support, shelter and safety tips.
https://www.icrc.org/en/where-we-work/europe-central-asia/ukraine/help-useful-information-affected-people
How to Find a Missing Loved One
Those unable to get in touch with US citizens missing in Ukraine or
Russia should contact the US Department of State Overseas Citizens
Services Office online or at 1-888-407-4747.
https://ua.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/emergency-contact/
Hi
In Poland we have quite many founds and associacions. I send You three
- two of them have worked for a long time; the last one is a page where
You can find people in Przemysl - city very close to polish-ukrainian
border - they organise direct help to people escaping the war.
https://en.ocalenie.org.pl/ - this is polish foundation for refugees (in differend fields
https://www.pah.org.pl/en/ - polish organisation helping in the regions where war is destroying life
https://nowiny24.pl/w-przemyslu-zawiazal-sie-spoleczny-komitet-pomocy-ukrainie-kontakty-numery-telefonow/ar/c1-16069725
and the page where You can find people in Przemysl
Michal
------------------------
FOR HELPERS IN THE FRONTLINE
From:Erik Tresse
Gestaltterapeut MNGF
terapi@eriktresse.no
www.eriktresse.noterapi@eriktresse.no
www.eriktresse.no
For helpers in the frontline in the neighboring countries, at refugee
reception centres, at camps etc. the situation may demand that they
work day-and-night, maybe experiencing overwhelming situations, very
stressful dilemmas and/or emotionally disturbing episodes that may need
debriefing.
In crises people have a tendency to take action, and those who find a
meaningful task or thing to do tend to do better than those who are
forced to be passive, wait and worry.
Having a safe place to Debriefe, ground, re-connect to your emotional
body and recalibrating, shaking off the anxiety, and processing the
feelings of powerlessness may be something needed.
This can maybe be offered through an ‘emotional support for supporters’
list/hotline’ and/or ‘Free grounding and emotional refill meditations’
in groups, and/or individual sessions one-on-one.
Hello,
I’m a professor of gestalt therapy at the Norwegian Gestalt Institute, a gestalt supervisor and a therapist.
I also have a background as a
human rights lawyer specialised in refugee law - and mindfulness meditation teacher.
I have very little capacity that’s free but wanted to respond to your call for support and resources:
Many frontline helpers can benefit from meditation/self-care practices
that are freely available on Insight Timer (Insighttimer.com) and other
apps. Two meditations that I guide and might benefit:
- Self-compassion
https://insig.ht/DZHdCNEmhob
- Lovingkindness
https://insig.ht/FXMbOIImhob
A longer paper of mine on humanitarian workers and stress:
https://www.academia.edu/32660600/_Are_we_becoming_bullies_A_case_study_of_stress_communication_and_Gestalt_interventions_among_humanitarian_workers
A major finding is the importance of debrief, support groups, and regular contact with friends and family.
I will speak with colleagues who also have experience working in these situations and see what we can offer - and return to you.
Kind wishes,
Vikram
---
Vikram Kolmannskog
Professor
Norwegian Gestalt Institute
Writer - Therapist - Scholar
Vikram.no
We, lithuanians, are currently gathering support and are looking to
contribute in every sense. Profile photo with Ukraine flag and posts
"Praying for Ukraine" will certainly not help.
https://www.aukok.lt/en/
This is legal site for contributions, do some actions, colleagues and friends, if we truly are comunity and want to help!
Gestalt therapist from Lithuania
Inga Barakuniene
Children
From Jon Blend
https://www.gestaltartscounsellingandpsychotherapy.co.uk/
Hello
all,
2nd March 2022.
Based on my work as an Oaklander- inspired child therapist (
www.vsof.org) here are 10 thoughts that may guide anyone undertaking
therapeutic work with child and adolescent refugees – once they have
relocated to a place of safety. The work also requires good support/
supervision for the provider of these sessions – to focus , reflect
and avoid burnout or secondary trauma.
Jon Blend, London UK. www.gacp.co.uk
As a general rule I recommend Dr. Violet Oaklander’s books Windows to
our Children and Hidden Treasure for ideas on how to work dialogically
within the child/young person’s sphere of competence/ capability.
1 Where possible meet the child initially together with their family.
This models transparency, and helps children and parents begin to
dialogue about what is happening;. Otherwise children and parents may
be inclined to avoid sharing their feelings/ experiences for fear of
upsetting others . This latter happened in many families on all sides
following Nazi terror etc. Meeting and consoling together with those
you love close to you may help alleviate feelings of shame, guilt,
shock etc. The converse, i.e. avoidance of sharing/ secrecy tends to
lead to greater feelings of isolation.
Try to establish a trusting, respectful relationship with everyone from
the outset. Regardless of tensions emerging try to avoid siding with
child against parent or vice versa - both need to feel they are being
heard fairly by you. Explain the confidential nature of any 1:1 or
dyadic work ( eg with siblings) you may plan to undertake, with what
purpose, for how many sessions etc . At the same time encourage
parental involvement in the healing process, for example by including
them in progress reviews.
2 Help the family begin to cultivate an environment that can provide
safety and recuperation after fearful experiences of flight and major
hardships. Where possible the family should remain the hub – the main
place where any/all return to, cry, laugh, let off steam …where
physical and psychological comfort and reassurance can be sought and
found. These needs are mutual and may remain ongoing long after the
present disaster and its consequences has passed.
For some children and adults, including those with additional needs,
use of a weighted blanket, or hot water bottle may be comforting.
Young children may have a particular need to connect with soft toys/
teddy bears, dolls ,puppets or other items that become transitional
objects. Friendly domestic (household) pets can also provide
reassurance. Help the family, especially parents, to realise that
living together in these unwished for, constrained circumstances
usually takes a toll on people’s ability to contact/ connect and
withdraw : everyone may feel tense, irritable, dispirited,/
demotivated, lost or grieving … These are common aspects of loss and
trauma -that may seem challenging to manage. However they are best
met by parents with kindness and love, helping children and young
people find routines and structure wherever possible, whilst upholding
boundaries in a clear yet fair manner.
3 When undertaking brief therapeutic work whether doing so ‘one -on-
one- or better still, in small groups, encourage children and
adolescents to use their senses as well as their cognitions/ intellect.
An embodied , projective arts- based approach that also welcomes
talking and sharing can be invaluable for many ,helping restore calm
after hyper arousal. .
Use whatever materials are available: drawing or working with collage,
clay, sandtray work, music making/ lyric writing, drama. ( Working
clay or play doh in the hands incidentally tends to be calming ; it
may be particularly helpful for those experiencing problems with
bladder/ sphincter control and others whose tendency is toward hyper
-arousal.
Other embodied work -including ‘walk and talk’ sessions outdoors,
gardening, dance movement, yoga etc used as part of a containing
‘dialogue ‘ can all provide useful opportunities for exploratory self
-expression- especially when experience is pre verbal / words fail.
Watch closely for sensory overload and evidence of triggering sights or
sounds, smells etc and encourage focussing on the breath, slowing down,
pacing the work to avoid retraumatising responses.
Reassure anxious parents if they become perturbed by their
children’s drawing or writing appearing unusually aggressive or
challenging. It is usually better to use the arts in this way to
allow expression of emergent strong feelings rather than keep
troublesome thoughts and emotions bottled up inside.
It helps if the experience and any meaning-clarifying opportunity
arising from the activity can be discussed in a therapeutic session
once the arousal level of the young client has returned to equilibrium
. if play becomes unusually aggressive /war -like consider that
children may be playing out responses to what they have seen or
imagined in actuality: warfare / destruction on the street or on
television etc.
There are many simple, embodied ways of helping young people manage
to express their angry feelings - through direct or private expression
( the latter includes using imagination) and to contain them ( healthy
retroflection) until safe/ appropriate to 'let go’. A pre-requisite
for undertaking this work with clients of any age is to be familiar
with and comfortable with your own expression and containment of strong
feelings. Moreover, if you are new to this work and decide to go down
this route, experiment with first trying any such activities yourself.
In this way you can pace the work, introducing the exercise or task
with confidence to your young clients whilst maintaining a safe,
contained, aware and alert presence throughout .Pay attention to
arousal levels and aim to bring these down before your session
finishes, with some time to discuss what emerged and how it might be
re-experienced and handled in future ( see Oaklander’s point 6 below).
Catharsis alone is unlikely to be useful.
Dr. Violet Oaklander described anger as the ‘most misunderstood’ of
the emotions.(Oaklander, 2005, 2007). It receives ‘ a bad press’: as
children we are told that it’s wrong to be angry. Consequently we may
learn to avoid that feeling, albeit often at considerable personal
cost. Yet, as Violet reminds us:
‘Anger is an expression of the self, and the self is reduced when one inhibits anger.’
Oaklander advocates a six-part approach to helping children and young people take charge of their anger :
1.Awareness - I’m angry – notice, draw, play, make, journal etc
2.Entitlement - its OK to feel angry
3.Acknowledgement -Name what I’m feeling angry about
4. Find safe ways of channelling angry feelings. ( Includes healthy
retroflection- ie containing anger until safely able to ‘let off
steam’. )
5. Residual anger. (What else do I feel angry about? Old wounding/ hurts…. how might these trigger?)
6. Psycho-educational work. What can I do next time I feel angry?
Hello all,
Here are some thoughts that may guide anyone undertaking therapeutic
work with child and adolescent refugees – once families have relocated
to a place of safety.
Good support/ supervision is recommended before undertaking this work - to focus and avoid. burnout or secondary trauma.
Scroll down the document fora selection of articles from newspapers etc..….
I also recommend former UN Displacement Consultant Professor Renos
Papdopoulos’s classic (2002) Therapeutic Care of Refugees: No Place
Like Home. (pub Karnac books).
In Renos ’s 2007 paper on trauma (European J of Psychotherapy &
Counselling) he proposes the notion of Adversity Activated
Development (AAD) an agentic polarity to PTSD:
https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/RKP%20Refugees%20Trauma%20and%20AAD%202007.pdf
Hope these are of use,
Recommended Reading
Blend, J (2011) Chap 12 :’Am I bovvered” - in : Relational Child,
Relational Brain (eds.) Harris Neil & Lee Robert, Gestalt Press,
Routledge.
Oaklander, V.(1988) Windows to our children. Gestalt Journal Press
Oaklander, V.(2006) Hidden Treasure: A map to the child’s inner self. London, Karnac .
Zahm, S. Therapist self -disclosure in the practice of gestalt therapy. The Gestalt Journal, Vol XX1, No.2
NB For a list of some suggested ways of exploring strong feelings scroll to the bottom.
4. Where appropriate children who wet the bed can be encouraged to
help a parent by putting soiled nightwear/ bedding in the linen
basket/washing machine while the parent remakes the bed; this reduces
their sense of shame about wetting as they are taking some age-
appropriate responsibility for making things better afterwards. Do
encourage the parent to take a neutral response to a child’s wetting-
neither praising for dry nights nor blaming for wetting. Violet
Oaklander’s article on bed wetting ( www.vsof.org) explains in more
detail the nature and purpose of wetting – one of nature’s ways of
relieving excess tension. Check out also on the VSOF website many
practical ideas / activities for face- to-face ,online or hybrid
working, also Karen Fried’s excellent ‘Just For Now’ series of
seminars .
5 Encourage a child or adolescent to imagine and draw their SAFE
PLACE, using shapes , lines and colours. In other words simply making
marks on paper without striving to draw accurately or to a high
standard. This can be a memory of an actual place/ situation where
the young person felt relaxed and secure. If however the child never
experienced or cannot recall such a place in actuality encourage them
to imagine it somewhere. This could be a fantasy place situated in
another land, on the moon, underwater, wherever. Encourage the child to
explore its landscape, focussing on the features or people present etc
that contribute to the sense of safety it conveys; have the child take
a mental picture of this place before leaving (those with smart phones
can imagine zooming in close then changing to a wide -angle focus).
This exercise may elicit responses of loss and grief as the young
person reconnects with memories and their bodily felt- sense of a
place/ situation they have lost. If the child seems overwhelmed by
grief it may help to give them something to hold- a cushion or a toy
to hug. If in danger of hyper -ventilating encourage them to feel
contained by feeling the edges of their body against the chair or the
ground. Encourage them to focus on the outbreath and suggest they
make some sound, if possible, until the sadness has passed. The
letting go of tears within a safe containing relationship reduces
tension, bringing the arousal level down.
Note: remind the young person they can revisit this place in their
imagination at any time, whenever they feel anxious or troubled. This
provides a steadying anchor if the child get panicky etc.
6. 'Resistance is assistance'- watch for distractions/ deflections/
withdrawal etc during the session which could indicate that the child
is at / close to becoming overwhelmed. Honour defences accordingly-
don’t bulldoze them! Children work in small steps- don’t expect them
to follow a train of thought for long periods especially if they easily
become distracted. Attachment-based therapist Daniel Hughes expects
any child/ young person to deflect / break contact many times in a
session; it usually helps to respect resistance rather than challenge
it, gently reintroducing the subject where possible.
7. Some younger children prefer to use play ( eg with dolls or toy
figures etc) rather than engage with you in dialogue. Consider using a
commentary -this may help them connect with their play if the play
seems muddled or haphazard. Note if this increases the child’s
relation to you and the work or if your words seem to be experienced
by the child as a distracting irritant. Therapy is a dance, as
Oaklander would say: sometimes the child leads and you follow, and
vice versa…….Working within metaphor – eg through use of storytelling
can be another way of introducing difficult or challenging notions on
an ‘as if’ basis..
8. Dreamwork with children aged ,say, six and above can be
instrumental in coping with nightmares. The Gestalt approach
encourages the person reporting their dream to tell it several times
over, in each case taking the point of view of a different feature or
aspect of the scenario. This telling takes place in the present
tense, as though watching the scenes unfold here and now from the
safe distance of the back of a movie theatre. After telling the dream
from many perspectives the teller may be invited to enact it with
movement, taking the part of each aspect - the road or the carpet, the
gas station, God, a passer by etc- whatever seems salient. Finally
the dreamer retells their original dream experience and is encouraged
to find the meaning or message that the dream is trying to tell them ;
importantly the ’therapist’ refrains from adding interpretation.
Often this detailed approach to a bad or recurring dream is sufficient
for it to fade away .
9. Children’s sleeping difficulties can often be eased using natural
remedies- lavender oil placed on skin/ nightclothes, added to bathwater
or placed in a diffuser or burner in the bedroom can hasten sleep for
some. ( Note: small bottles of lavender oil would make a wonderful
gift if considering donating to a refugee appeal).
A night light in the bedroom or close by can be helpful for some, or
add plastic luminous stars to the bedroom ceiling etc which glow,
giving something of interest to focus on during the transition to sleep
. Use an ioniser to counteract sleep disturbance from secondary smoke/
nicotine.
A gentle toe or head massage from a parent
,using a base oil ( Ayurvedic style) can be soothing for some.
Encourage parents to spend a few minutes with the child/ children at
bedtime during which the latter are encouraged to talk about their day
- likes and dislikes etc without comment or advice from the parent –
this. ’emptying out’ process helps some surrender to sleep.
Other ideas:
Listen to ambient music or 'binaural beats’ etc on headphones…. Jay
Markoe’s cd of Mozart tunes played on bells, like music boxes, called
Sleepy Time for Kids - is also good for this.
An anxious child may benefit from the parent asking them repeatedly ‘
what do you want to do in 3 days’ time? And in 3 weeks? In 3 months? In
3 years? When you are 13/ 23, when you are 33, when you are 66 etc?
The idea is for the parent simply to ask the prompt and listen to the
child/ teenager’s response without additional comment. This repetition
can be soothing ; it sews / embeds a notional seed of there being a
future for the young person.
Another option I find many insomniac adolescents enjoy involves
wrestling with calculations or numbers, for example what doctors refer
to as ‘serial sevens’. Simply take away seven from five hundred and
sixty -two, subtract seven from that and keep on subtracting sevens
until you reach zero or drop off to sleep. These mental gymnastics help
tire the brain, eventually enabling most to surrender to the call of
sleep.
10 . Not all children will understand what you mean if you ask how they
are feeling….some may respond to such a question with blank looks…,
However if you ask ‘what did you think of what X did?’ this often
elicits a clear feeling response in return:
‘ I hated that - he shouldn’t have insulted me/ taken my stuff! ‘
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List of Things To Do To Express Anger Safely and Privately.
(You can probably add to this list).
Hint: You should feel better, calmer, more peaceful after expressing
your anger in one or more of these ways. Be sure to breathe deeply
and focus on your anger while doing any of them.
Punch a pillow (use both arms together to avoid strain.)
Have a purposeful temper tantrum ( inform house mates/partner).
Tear up magazines / old newspapers
Squash paper and throw it
Draw a face of someone you’re angry with and jump on the paper, or tear it up, or scrunch it and kick it.
Kick or squeeze a can
Squeeze a towel, especially if wet
Throw a wet flannel against the bathroom wall
Talk into your phone about your angry feelings.
Write or journal about your angry feelings. Use ‘colourful’ language if that helps.
Hand -write a letter to the person you are angry with (BUT DON’T SEND IT!)
Scream/yell into a cushion/pillow.
Run round the block / field until you are exhausted; or do any other physical activity whilst focusing on your anger
If you have clay at home, punch it with your fists or pound it with a mallet
Drum, do an angry dance to music / play ‘staccato’ music ( Gabrielle Roth’s ‘Five Rhythms’)
Crush tin cans, throw bottles into bottle bank
Growl into a mirror
Tape bottom of your shoe with name of person you are angry with and
walk around – or rub your shoe into the carpet etc
Chew gum and imagine you are biting the person, or bite a flannel/ towel
Stuff a pillowcase with twigs. Secure the end with Velcro. Snap
twigs
while thinking of the person you are angry with and the
issue.
( After Oaklander)
Attachment:
Dr. Dan Siegel ,author of many books including
Brainstorm,
The Whole
Brain Child (also chapter 3 in Harris & Lee’s (2011)
Relational
Child, Relational Brain- Gestalt Press), talks of four ‘S’’s needed
for secure attachment- that encourage flexibility, insight/
awareness, vitality and resilience. These are: Security, being Seen,
Soothed and Safe.
I hope some of these ideas are of use to you and the young people you seek to help.
Jon, London UK 3rd March 2022.
Jon Blend MA, Dip Psych, Dip Child, CQSW
Adult, Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist (UKCP & EAP reg.),
Clinical Supervisor & Lifemusic Practitioner. Faculty IATE,
London, (Wellbeing);Visiting trainer NESTT, Yorkshire & Pathways,
Manchester, Salford Women Therapists Association; Gestalt Centre
Wales; Guest trainer and member ,Violet Oaklander Foundation USA;
Principal: Gazebo Training School, London. Tel 020 8992 1982. For nine
articles and training information visit
: https://www.gacp.co.uk
"All children are born with the capacity to develop and use all of the
aspects of the organism to live healthy, productive, joyful lives. We
know that trauma interrupts the healthy development of the child. There
are also some very basic developmental aspects that can further thwart
healthy development. An understanding of these hindrances is the first
step toward helping children heal.”
Dr. Violet Oaklander(1927-2021)
Footnote: Counsellors and therapists without a personal trauma history
who wish to gain an ‘as if’ insight into experiences of flight may
be interested in the following article by myself and Roz Carroll
entitled “ Witnessed, Improvised Diaspora Journey Enactments : an
experiential method for exploring refugee history.” This is available
as a free download from Jewish Historical Studies , V 51, 2019
See also the excellent
Therapeutic Care For Refugees: No Place Like
Home , edited by Renos Papadopoulos, (2002), Karnac, London.
Current information regarding Ukraine
Jon writes:” A UK colleague has kindly collated a list of newspaper
articles for therapists etc likely to be offering support to refugee
children and families. I particularly liked the illustrations supplied
by ABC News Australia …. “
An article in the Independent on talking to children about Ukraine with Ryan Lowe as an interviewee:
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/ukraine-invasion-how-to-explain-kids-b2025587.html?r=39325
Supporting children if they see upsetting content online about what is happening in Ukraine (Childnet)
https://www.childnet.com/blog/supporting-your-child-with-upsetting-content/
We should not hide from children what is happening in Ukraine (Schools Week/Children's Commissioner)
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/we-should-not-hide-from-children-what-is-happening-in-ukraine/
How to talk to children about what’s happening in Ukraine and World War Three anxiety (Metro)
https://metro.co.uk/2022/02/24/how-to-talk-to-children-about-whats-happening-in-ukraine-16163133/
Help for families to talk to pupils about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
and how to help them avoid misinformation (Department for Education)
https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/02/25/help-for-teachers-and-families-to-talk-to-pupils-about-russias-invasion-of-ukraine-and-how-to-help-them-avoid-misinformation/
Information produced previously about war and international violence
How and when to talk to children about war, according to a parenting expert (Independent)
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/children-war-talk-russia-ukraine-b2023695.htm
How to cope with traumatic news - an illustrated guide (ABC News, Australia)
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-23/illustrated-guide-coping-traumatic-news/5985104
Talking with Children About War and Violence in the World (Family Education, US)
https://www.familyeducation.com/life/wars/talking-children-about-war-violence-world
Tips for parents and caregivers on media coverage of traumatic events (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, US)
https://www.nctsn.org/resources/tips-parents-and-caregivers-media-coverage-traumatic-events
Dear colleagues,
I am a Gestalt psychotherapist living and working in Przemysl,
Poland, a city near the Ukrainian border. Prof. Aleksander Filtz,
whom many of you may know from beeing a psychiatrist, psychotherapist
and former president of the EAP, asked for help for Ukrainian hospitals.
Prof. A. Filtz lives and works in Lviv, Ukraine, and currently is
taking care of childrens from war zones. The Polish coordinator of this
action is director of the Podkarpackie Mental Health Center, Dr. Maciej
Kuligowski
https://www.facebook.com/maciej.kuligowski.5
Collected funds will be used for the purchase of medical supplies, and food such as juices and crispbread - urgently needed.
The action is recommended by the Polish Psychiatric Association. Anyone who wants to support, can donate money into the account:
PL 84 1140 2017 0000 4902 1308 5938
NZOZ Podkarpackie Centrum Zdrowia Psychicznego
37-700 Przemysl,
Bohaterów Getta 17a
Title of the transfer: "Dla Ukrainy" ("for Ukraine")
-- Warm greetings,
Beata Lesniak
MENTAL HEALTH LINKS
Federation
Global Initiative on Psychiatry (FGIP)
Samopomich - psychological support to Ukraine
The war in Ukraine has resulted in unimaginable human suffering.
Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have fled their homes and are
trying to find safety either in the country or abroad. Others are
sheltering in homes, bomb shelters or cellars, while their cities are
pounded by Russian artillery. With days passing the severity of the
attack is becoming worse and worse.
In response to the worsening situation, and in order to support
friends, colleagues and the general population in Ukraine, the
Federation Global Initiative on Psychiatry (FGIP), together with
several partners, is developing a platform to provide guidance to both
mental health professionals and the general population how to deal with
the psychological consequences of the war. Click here for more information.
UKRANIAN
https://www.samopomi.ch/
ENGLISH
https://www.searchdonation.com/ngo/samopomich.php
FROM W.H.O.
As part of the QualityRights Initiative, WHO has developed a comprehensive package of
training and guidance materials. The materials can be used to build
capacity among mental health practitioners, people with psychosocial,
intellectual and cognitive disabilities, people using mental health
services, families, care partners and other supporters, nongovernmental
organizations, organizations of persons with disabilities and
others on how to implement a human rights and recovery approach in the
area of mental health in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities and other international human rights
standards.
The ultimate goal of WHO’s QualityRights is to change mindsets and
practices in a sustainable way and empower all stakeholders to promote
rights and recovery in order to improve the lives of people with
psychosocial, intellectual or cognitive disabilities everywhere.
CORE TRAINING
- Human rights. WHO QualityRights Core training - for all
services and all people
- Mental health, disability and human rights. WHO
QualityRights Core training - for all services and all people
- Legal capacity and the right to decide. WHO QualityRights
Core training: mental health and social services
- Recovery and the right to health. WHO QualityRights Core
training: mental health and social services
- Freedom from coercion, violence and abuse. WHO QualityRights
Core training: mental health and social services
SPECIALIZED TRAINING
- Recovery practices for mental health and well-being. WHO
QualityRights Specialized training
- Strategies to end seclusion and restraint. WHO QualityRights
Specialized training
- Supported decision-making and advance planning. WHO
QualityRights Specialized training
GUIDANCE
- Peer support groups by and for people with lived
experience. WHO QualityRights guidance module
- One-to-one peer support by and for people with lived
experience. WHO QualityRights guidance module
- Advocacy for mental health, disability and human rights. WHO
QualityRights guidance module
- Civil society organizations to promote human rights in mental
health and related areas. WHO QualityRights guidance module
SERVICE TRANSFORMATION
- QualityRights Assessment toolkit
- Transforming services and promoting human rights. WHO
QualityRights training and guidance: mental health and social services
SELF-HELP
- Person-centred recovery planning for mental health and well-being
self-help tool. WHO QualityRights
The materials can be accessed at https://www.who.int/publications-detail/who-qualityrights-guidance-and-training-tools and
the recovery tool at https://www.who.int/publications-detail/who-qualityrights-self-help-tool
MEDICAL
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
UKRAINE
OTHER COUNTRIES