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.
1:21 Lisa asks for Lessons from the Playroom podcast requests
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?
