| Learning Objective #1: learn ways of assisting children in families and communities to cope with stress, crisis, loss, and trauma. | |||
| Learning Objective #2: learn that the developmental level of the child is of paramount importance in dealing with stress, crisis, loss and trauma. |
The original research was a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study using the phenomenological methods of Merleau Ponty and van Manen. This presentation addresses the needs of children, families, and communities to understand and cope with the many problems of Sept. 11, 2001 in the USA, and other losses which have had a profound impact on children both nationally and internationally. Children, their families, and the community are profoundly affected by stress, crisis, and trauma, and deal with the many effects of these events in different ways. Based on family therapy theory and developmental theory, the needs of children and members of the family were examined. Resources, both internal and external. were used to develop strategies to assist them. These strategies could be used with children, families, and the community when they are confronted with what seems to be insurmountable difficulties in dealing with adversity.