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=web


Map of countries accepting Ukrainian Refugees:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/26/map-which-countries-are-accepting-ukrainian-refugees-interactive


UKRAINE 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-ukraine


Homes 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_link




IRELAND


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.ie






UNITED 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.

he National Child Traumatic Stress Network offers these resources for children and families who need support:
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



               
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

SPECIALIZED TRAINING

GUIDANCE

SERVICE TRANSFORMATION

SELF-HELP

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


















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