Counseling/Healing/Emotional Recovery Services Offered

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Volunteering If You Are A Licensed Psychologist, Therapist, Counselor

The American Psychological Association has a resource of what Psychologists do at disaster sites.

In the aftermath of Katrina The National Association of Social Workers site provided information and recruiting opportuniries for volunteer licensed mental health professionals who had completed the American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Training requirements to meet the urgent and ongoing need for disaster workers created by Hurricane Katrina in the gulf region. Interested Social Workers should contact their local Red Cross chapter for details and volunteer opportunities." More information on how to volunteer with Red Cross and the application forms is available here. You must be available for a minimum of two weeks.

Spiritual Counseling

  • Unity Church Prayer Line (24 hours via phone)(Christian) You will speak with a human whom will listen to your request and pray with you. English: 1-816-969-2000 Spanish: 1-816-969-2020
  • Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers Whether you are suffering from anxiety and fear brought on from Katrina, or know someone else who is, we are always there to listen and understand and provide practical and spiritual help: 1 800 HELP 4 YU

Useful Questions and Conversations

Here are some useful questions to focus energy and action:

  • What is the most useful action I/we can take in this moment?
  • What are the best things that are happening and how can I/we support them?
  • What has this disaster shown us about the resources we have available in our society?
  • Where has wise conversation, wise action shown up? How do we expand on the best of what's happened?
  • How do we expand our insight, our vision of who we are and can be as a society so that we are as equipped as possible for the future?

Meditation and Yoga Centers

Eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (offered at more than 300 hospitals and centers throughout the country). Locate one nearest you here: [1]

"I really thank the MBSR program for helping me heal after the tsunami. Even though I thought I knew how to meditate, I needed the compassionate support of a group and a skillful teacher at this time." - Evelyn Rodriguez, tsunami survivor

Secondary Trauma (for Caregivers)

Austin, TX. The Samaritan Counseling Center, a nonprofit that provides counseling, is helping those who helped the Katrina victims: volunteers, doctors, pastors. Anyone who came in contact with hurricane survivors is a candidate for secondary trauma caused by the stress and pain of the disaster, said Nancy Blaich, executive director of the center. Source

Other Face-to-Face or Via Phone/Mail Resources

Hypnotherapist offers free hypnotherapy by phone 562-434-7050 to stressed-out relief workers. Sandra has been dealing and doing counseling and therapy for 27 years and has dealt with post traumatic stress disorder as well as stress and those in denial of stress. You have to talk about it with a therapist, your workers, friends, and family ,as this is the only way you get it out of you. If you don't there will be repercussions down the road. If you feel angry, yelling a lot, miserable, like life it futile, not the person you used to be , feeling sickly or stagnate, please seek help. If you feel what your seeing isn't effecting you PLEASE seek help- as it will hit you down the road and not in a nice way. It will be in your mental health and health. So look after you now. I'm here for you please feel free to call a shoulder for you to lean on for strength and to keep on and to feel better about yourself and what is going on.I give a lot of positive affirmations, some stress relievers and support.If you'd like a cassette tape of you phone session I will send you one for on going support. You can also Email Sandra Rubly at Seymours7@aol.com. or sandraseymour7@hotmail.com

Essence Practitioner offers free custom essences via mail for anyone effected by Gustav. I (Erin Handy) use flower, gem and environmental essences in my practice. Essences are used for emotional recovery and support from trauma and can be used with not only people but pets and spaces. Excellent for relief workers as well. Contact me and we can discuss what I can offer that would best support your situation. Erin Handy, agenthandy at gmail dot com or agenthandy on twitter. Best to you.

How to Be With and Support a Katrina Survivor

This info is intended for (unaffected) family members, friends, acquaintences, and anyone that isn't a trained professional that encounters a person directly affected by the Katrina tragedy.

Highly recommend also reading Connecting with Others: Giving Support via the Texas Department of State Health Services

1. First, it is important for you to be available face-to-face. Many of us are experiencing so much of our own pain and suffering, it is difficult to be present for someone who has experienced a traumatic event. You may want to read this article, Dismantling Walls, for some suggestions. We are all wounded healers at some level, so don't expect perfection from yourself. If you still feel you are too fragile to be present for another, please be honest but don't ignore the person entirely. For instance, you can say, "I have so much of my own issues that I'm feeling tender right now with all that's happened. I don't know how to be helpful. What do you think would be helpful?" Find other family members, friends that can listen and be present. Find counseling resources - whether through a relief agency, your local hospital, local clergy, local therapists and/or social workers, and/or meditation and yoga centers. Help in the manner you have the capacity to help.

2. Your intent matters more than anything. Even silent communication is powerful as people pick up resonant energy in their limbic systems. Don't stress to much about if what you are saying or doing is "right." If you come with a hearfelt intent, it will come across somehow.

3. Don't assume talking will "make it worst." Many people avoid others that have gone through a traumatic event believing that not talking about it will somehow make the pain go away. It's a particularly lonely time if everyone has the same thought. It's not necessary to walk on eggshells, so to speak, with a trauma victim. After the tsunami, people really appreciated an attentive ear and a shoulder to lean on. People want to talk. Most really need to talk. There are some folks that tend to withdraw ("I just want to be alone"). Reach out and let them know you are available. Call or come by every few days (the "alone" phase will pass away).

4. Be patient. Everyone has their own timetable for grieving. Two weeks after the tsunami, I had friends suggesting that it was "time to move on." If the person seems to be attempting to heal and reach out, then they are doing just fine even if it's not your timetable (i.e. they are seeking counseling, meditating in a support group, etc.) If they have withdrawn from all support, that's when you can be helpful to a) listen b) find resources for healing and get them there.

5. Pity and sympathy aren't necessary ("oh you poor thing"). Compassion and empathy are. Imagine you are on a hospital bed with a terminal illness, you wouldn't expect friends to visit so they can suffer with you. A kind, benevolent, lighthearted, confident presence is preferred. Be yourself as much as possible. Joining in their suffering isn't necessary, or desired.

6. This is not the time for lectures or getting on your soapbox. For instance, "Why didn't you leave?" or "We create our own reality; the poor make their choices" or "Well, you know that New Orleans was a disaster waiting to happen; what do you expect?" In fact, this would be a good time to ensure the survivor isn't harboring self-blame and guilt. Let them know it's NOT their fault: what happened, happened. In fact, if you have strong opinions or judgments, this is time to keep them to yourself. I'm speaking from personal experience here, these are other uncalled for responses that do not help the survivor recover: "My pastor said that those in the tragedy were being punished by God.", "Why are you so upset - you didn't see any dead bodies yourself.", "Wow, that must have been quite an adventure!"

7. Don't make leaps and assume that every survivor is going to have post-traumatic stress syndrome. This may unnecessarily scare the survivor in regards to their long-term mental state. Humans are very resilient and psychologists are studying post-traumatic growth these days. I experienced symptoms of acute stress disorder for about the first ten days after the tsunami (anxiety, frequent heart palpatitations, difficulty sleeping). And I don't have PTSD today.

8. Do what your friend believes to be helpful. For instance, they may ask you to pray with them or read a passage from Bible. Or take them to a movie. You might object because you're not Christian or you think their suggestion is 'stupid.' But in reality, they are simply asking for your support and your love in a form they understand. If it's not going to kill you, just do it.

See also

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