Israeli psychologist in Natick offers tips to help parents talk to their children about war
NATICK - An Israeli psychologist in Natick is banding together with other Israeli mental health professionals to create a support system for people in Massachusetts struggling with the war overseas. Her name is Dr. Miri Bar-Halpern, and her family is still living in Israel.
"I talk to my mom at 1 a.m., and then the images start coming," says Dr. Bar-Halpern, "You have to limit the news on social media because it is really hard. We all want to be on it all of the time. I will tell everybody I speak with: Put a timer on your phone, let yourself look at the news for that time, and then do other stuff."
She feels helpless being so far away and says countless other Israelis in Massachusetts feel the same way. In response, she and 13 other Israeli psychologists formed a one-on-one mental health support hub for people in need. You can sign up for a time by clicking here.
Her patients are dealing with panic attacks and nightmares, and some are afraid to go to work. Their kids are also dealing with the trauma while being told to continue to go to school and to try to be normal.
"We are trying to shelter our kids from seeing what is going on, but they are seeing us getting triggered, anxious and short with everything. I think giving them an understanding of what is going on in an age-appropriate way is really important," explains Dr. Halpern, "If the kid is 4 years old or so, just talk in global terms, and really focusing on safety."
She wrote a children's book for her doctorate dissertation on trauma and terrorism. It's called "Becoming a Superhero." It is directed towards kids who have experienced a terrorist attack. When the war broke out, she put a free digital Hebrew version online. You can find it by clicking here.
"That is specifically for kids who have experienced terror. I was hoping nobody would need it at this point," says Dr. Bar-Halpern.
