Staff Therapist Shadeen Francis on KYW: How to talk to your kids about family separation

June 20, 2018 | Staff Therapist Shadeen Francis, MFT was featured on KYW Newsradio on Wednesday. Host Hadas Kuznits asked Shadeen how to talk to your kids about the family separation and deportation in this week’s immigration news. 

She commented: “When speaking to children, it’s important to be honest with them about the news in ways that are developmentally appropriate — and it’s also important to be honest about your own feelings. Your self-care comes first, and I know that’s a hard thing for parents to hear.”

Francis noted if you’re feeling uneasy about the current immigration crisis, you could be experiencing trauma yourself as a witness to all that’s happening in the country. “Vicarious trauma can show up in a lot of different ways. Most commonly, it starts to look like actual trauma symptoms,” Francis explained. “So maybe it’s intrusive thought, maybe it’s sleep disturbances, appetite changes are common.”

Listen to the whole segment on KYW Newsradio.

Learn more about Shadeen or request an appointment.