TLDR: I’m going to share the journey of how this came to be, but if someone you love need help now, here are the important details:
How it will work. Since we are only a two-person operation, we have decided to take on a limited number of children for six free sessions. The focus of these sessions will be to cover three things that are essential during a crisis.
1) Allow impacted children an opportunity to express their experiences using play and art therapy techniques.
2) Learn, practice, and build some grounding and self-regulating techniques to help support the children both in and outside the session.
3) Share information, tools, and resources with the families to help transition the work in session to the home. These resources included providing parents with psychoeducational information about what to expect after a child has experienced a natural disaster.
If you are interested in receiving this support for your child, email us at Hello@bloomngrowtherapy.com.
This year!
Do we need to say more? These are unusual times that started with a once in a lifetime pandemic, civil and political conflict, and natural disasters worldwide. There are so many valid reasons for everyone's mental health to be suffering right now. While all of these have a profound impact, Colorado's recent wildfires touch the deepest places in my heart and my community.
I've been struggling lately with the feeling of powerlessness, which I know to make for restless nights. During one of these restless nights, I thought about my own child's reflections and worried about the fires. He worried about the people that were losing their homes. He wants to know if any children live in the mountains. Will they lose all their toys and special treasures? He worried about the animals that make their home in the forest, and the firefighters who are already tired from fighting the numerous fires that occurred before these current ones.
He shared his thoughts with me this weekend while helping him navigate our backyard zip line for the one-millionth time, which allows him to processes his thoughts and manages his big feelings. At one point, we could see the flames from our yard, and he looked up at me with tears in his eyes. He asked if the special hiking trails we always visit on my birthday and mother's day would be okay? I don't have the answer he needs from me. But we could make cards for the firefighters and pull together care packages with much-needed supplies. We fill our bird feeders for all the birds who will need to leave their mountain homes. We also went through our games and toys to choose a few to donate to children who may need them right now.
We can do these things to help a 5-year-old feel like he has some ability to control and contribute to a situation that is far outside of his control.
My child, who is 100% safe, is this profoundly hurting and impacted by these fires. There are so many children struggling in much more significant ways. How are those children who have been evacuated doing? How are those children who have or are at risk of losing their homes doing? Who is going to be able to be the person listening to them talking about their worries while they are doing something for the millionth time?
I shared my story and idea with Robin, my practice partner on our Tuesday morning business hike, and she had her own words to share about her preschooler processing his stress about the fires. The decision was easy—the call to show up for our communities' youngest members and their families is what feels essential.
If you are interested in receiving this support for your child, email us at Hello@bloomngrowtherapy.com.