IT TAKES A VILLAGE
We have seen COVID-19 impact every aspect of our lives, including how we use space, interact with others, express emotion, engage in play, education, and our jobs. For six months, phrases like "social distance" and "new norm" have replaced courtesy hellos and casual dinner time talking. Many people have been scrutinized, criticized, and minimized for their response to chronic stress, uncertainty, loss, and the risk of mortality. These factors, compounded by political discord, have created a perfect storm for a mental health crisis.
The New Norm
The "new norm" means that the helpers and those seeking help are undoubtedly experiencing many of the same emotions. As a therapist, my "new norm" has meant checking in more often with myself and asking for help when I need it. I have and continue to experience some of the same stressors and find myself asking many of the same questions that my clients ask: when will I see my out of state family? How will my child transition to hybrid learning? Will my partner be out of a job?
As we routinely adapt what we are doing and how we are doing it, the emotional demands grow greater. Showing up, being present, and finding the "yes" can feel challenging, yet many of us have successfully found ways to achieve this day after day. This is good news because our insights will help to inform those who are now returning to our schools.
The next phase
In this next phase, those entering in-person or virtual schools will bring richness, diversity, and complexity into the teaching and learning environment. Many of these students will be under-represented, disadvantaged, belong to multiple equity groups, and face academic and non-academic challenges, including mental health needs.
Meeting these students' needs will be demanding for our leaders, educators, and their families. Acculturation, building students' resilience, confidence, and academic growth are among many of the tasks that stand before them.
Like all those who have been working on the front lines, educators will draw on their intellectual and emotional resources to neutralize their own emotions to create a space that promotes learning, creativity, and wellness. The risks of doing so will mirror much of what many of us who have been working the last several months may already be experiencing; burnout, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced efficacy and sense of personal achievement.
A powerful protective factor for these students and educators relies on our commitment to building a community that inspires shared aspiration and hopes to work through difficult times together. The old saying "it takes a village" is still a hallmark today because evidence repeatedly shows us that when we are all in it together the outcomes are profound.
REACH OUT
At START: Creative Arts Therapy Services, our therapists are committed to helping others. We have found that the creative process and outcomes have helped shape our view of how this pandemic is being experienced. Our community's accomplishments have highlighted how strong and resilient people are.
If you are an educator, student, family member or helper trying to navigate the new school year, we are here for you. If you need a safe place where you won't be judged, where you can unload, sort out, process and reframe your experiences, we are here to support you. We offer individual and group therapy and creative pursuits through our growing "It" community - all of which allows us to connect to ourselves, with others while co-creating our future together.
Written by: Dina Plama, ATR-BC, LCAT