The emotional toll of a fire can be heavy for young hearts, as they navigate feelings of loss, fear and confusion. Losing a home, treasured belongings, or the sense of safety can be overwhelming.
Here are some meaningful ways to help children and teens process their grief, rebuild hope and find healing.
Create A Safe Space For Feelings
Provide opportunities to express emotions like sadness, fear, anger or confusion.
Use phrases like, “Its okay to feel this way,” to validate their feelings.
Encourage Connection
Involve them in rebuilding efforts.
Encourage participation in support groups or activities where they can interact with others who have experienced similar losses.
Create A Memory Ritual
Help them honor what was lost through meaningful rituals, such as writing a letter, planting a tree, or creating a memory box.
Make a “Wish for the Future” Jar and write down wishes, dreams or hopes for rebuilding and moving forward.
Seek Professional Support
Offer counseling or therapy if they struggle with processing their emotions.
Share resources like hotlines, school counselors or local mental health services.
We have found a few in the last few days offering free support for those affected by the fires.
David Kessler and others are hosting Healing Together: Support for the LA Community, a free online event to support you through your emotions, anxiety, grief and loss on Tuesday, January 14th at 6pm. Click Here for more information and registration.
The Process Wellness Collective is offering short-term pro bono therapy services to those directly impacted. For more information or to connect with at therapist, please email: hello@theprocesswellnesscollective.com
Community Mental Health Support Circles for those affected by California Fires. Free, virtual, led by mental health practitioners. Open to all who may feel in need of mental health support. Info and registration HERE.
Emily Dilbeck Art (Art Your Grief) is drawing or painting your home for free. You can find her page on IG HERE. This is a great way to hold the memory of your family home.
For an extensive list of mental health professions offering FREE, individual, couples, family and child therapy services for those directly affected by the fires CLICK HERE.
Activities to Support Healing
Art: Provide materials for drawing or painting their emotions
Family Sharing Circle: Dedicate a time to discuss feelings and memories as a family. Childhood Matters has an excellent list conversation starters HERE.
Nature Time: Spending time outdoors to create a calming and grounding effect.
Storytelling: Encourage them to write or share their experience as a way of processing.
In community, we heal. No matter where we are located, we are all touched by the loss of others. It’s difficult to watch the devastation and not want to help. If you know of someone who has been touched by these wildfires, please forward this to them.
There are so many people wanting to help.
Our hearts and prayers are with the Los Angeles community as they experience this loss.
Thank you to our friends at Childhood Matters for their resources for this blog.