Helping Your Children Through These Challenging Times

Hello,

Though we're starting to come out of sheltering-in-place more and more each day, the effects are still very much with us. Many families are still trying to deal with the lockdown and the many feelings that came up during this unusual time together. 

So, I invited back one of my colleagues, Chelsea Owens, LMFT, who specializes in Psychotherapy & Art Therapy with Adults, Adolescents, and Children. In this talk, we discuss how (because the normal challenges around communicating with your kids, who are at such vulnerable ages, have been magnified during this unusual time) parents can strengthen communication with their kids through a no-pressure approach, model positive coping skills and help their kids to work through the challenges (anxiety, feelings of loss, and isolation) associated with situations like this COVID-19 one.

She also offered some things families can do to get through this time:

• Have some sort of a routine and stick to it (where it makes sense). Hold a structure but allow for freedom - don’t push too hard.
• Make space for talking about grief and disappointment over losses -- and validate those feelings.
• Engage in deep listening (listen to the content of what kids are saying and validate their concerns).
• Stay connected with family members, classmates, friends, community
  to feel less isolated.
• Be sure to keep moving!
• Find some space to have alone time each day. (5 minutes to yourself in the day to reset - especially in times of overwhelm or anxiety.)
• Make space for silliness and play to shift intense emotions (and show a willingness to try something new).
• Think about how you can pull in positivity to normalize the stress level.
• Help kids work through the unknown and open up.
• Be authentic and meet them where they are.
• Pull in something to do so it’s not a “sit down” focused talk with the pressure to talk (puzzle, art, walk together).
  • Focus on the activity, instead of the pressure to talk.
• Consider working with a therapist if needed, as it can allow people to develop the ability to express emotions to someone outside of their home.
• Be aware of and take action when there are suspected substance issues or depression.

 If you have any questions for Chelsea or me, please don’t hesitate to contact us (you can find her information below)!

Best,

Susan 

PS - I’m offering a course this summer for couples who are looking to rekindle their relationship and reconnect (after months of bad breath, sweat pants, and “annoying idiosyncrasies” they’ve discovered during sheltering in place. “Summer Lovin'" is a 6-week workshop for couples who want to do more than just “get along.” We’ll be focused on reconnecting in fun and positive ways, which don’t involve the bog-down of exploring all of the chronic negative patterns, which may be present in your relationship. Look out for more details on July 1st!

More About Our Guest Speaker

Chelsea Owens, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

Psychotherapy & Art Therapy
with Adults, Adolescents, and Children
W: https://chelseaowenstherapy.com/
E: [email protected]
P: 650-784-0813 

Chelsea holds a MA in Art Therapy and Marriage & Family Therapy from Notre Dame de Namur University. During her 3,000+ clinical hours of training and experience, she has worked with a variety of people including, children, adolescents, teens, adults, families, and couples on a wide range of issues ranging from: anxiety, depression, family issues, eating disorders, trauma, grief and loss, behavior management + classroom management, self-awareness and empowerment, women's issues, parenting issues, and family reunification. 

Chelsea shows up in the therapeutic relationship with an intention to help facilitate process and move anxiety, trauma, depression, and negative self-worth in order to build insight into one’s core beliefs, and restore the balance between the mind, body, and spirit.

Her therapeutic style is eclectic and is influenced by holistic modalities as well as evidence-based psychological orientations. She comes from an Art Therapy background, and also integrate existential/Gestalt therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), mindfulness practice, Psychodynamic, and Narrative therapy into her practice. Feminist theory, Family Systems theory, and a social justice perspective also inform her process and practice.