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Resources for parents and caretakers on helping children cope with traumatic events, conflict, and war.
The KonTerra Group does not provide counseling services for children. However, we regularly receive requests for resources to help parents and caretakers support children affected by trauma and war. This page contains links to some trusted resources, in a variety of languages.
Helping Children Cope After Traumatic Events
This guide was assembled by Child Mind Institute in consultation with psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health experts who specialize in crisis situations. It offers simple tips on what to expect, what to do and what to look out for. You can download the full guide in English or Spanish. Or use the links below to visit age-specific sections:
- How to help children ages 0-2
- How to help children ages 2-5
- How to help children ages 6-11
- How to help children ages 12-18
Also, go here to find an overview of Child Mind Institute’s multilingual trauma resources (find resources in 17 languages, including Arabic, French, Spanish, Chinese, Bangla, Ukranian and other languages.)
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
This website has a wonderful library of resources offered in multiple languages and very context specific, including resources related to:
Supporting Children Affected by War or Violence
Parenting in an Emergency
Visit UNICEF’s page on Parenting In An Emergency to find advice for navigating the most difficult of times, including articles on how to support your children during conflict and crisis situations, how to support your children if you are forced to leave your home, how to talk to your children about the death of a loved one, and much more.
Expert recommendations and useful materials assembled by UNICEF to help children and their parents/guardians cope with stress and care for the health, safety and development of children during war. Resources available in English and Ukrainian. Select resources listed below.
- How parents explain war and threats to their children
- How to support people forced from their homes by war
- How to build rapport with a child traumatized by war: Tips for volunteers on building relationships with children who have fled war
National Child Traumatic Stress Network resources
This website has a variety of context-specific resources in various language. Select resources include:
- Understanding Refugee Trauma: For School Personnel (in English, Russian, and Italian)
- Coping with Unconfirmed Death for Forcibly Displaced Children and Families: Tips for Caregivers
- School Shooting Resources
Talking With Children about Conflict and War
How do you talk to children about war? (Short guide by IFRC Psychosocial Center, also available in Arabic, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Turkish, and Ukrainian)
8 tips to support and comfort your children when talking to them about war (Article by UNICEF, also available in French, Spanish, and Arabic)
Tips and ideas to create a sense of safety in an essentially unsafe world (Article by Psychology Today)
Additional Resources in Arabic
Helping Children Cope With Critical Incidents and Traumatic Events (also available in Turkish and French)
My Hero is You: Supporting each other when wars come (Illustrated storybook)
How to look after children through crisis and displacement (Video by UNODC for parents and caregivers)
Caring for your children in crisis situations (Booklet by UNODC)