By Elizabeth Voegtlin, LCSW and Susan Barrett, LCSW
Owners of RISE Wellness Group in Midland Park, NJ
Above, kids hold up their art projects they completed as part of a therapeutic art workshop held virtually.
In March of 2020 it seemed as if life had changed almost overnight. Families across the world and in our own community, dawned masks to prevent illness and turned to technology to learn, stay informed, keep in touch with our loved ones and for the lucky minority, continue to earn an income. While we continue to adjust and adapt to the ongoing pandemic the fact remains that while we may have a difficult time coping with this as adults our children are the ones who are truly suffering. It would be normal under usual circumstances for kids to begin to feel lost at age twelve, but with the new external force of the pandemic adding to that pressure our children have endured unprecedented levels of stress.
Change for adults is often likened to the experience of being on a rollercoaster. Life has its ups and downs but generally an adult with a good foundation would experience stress but may be able to cope with that stress. The current experience for our youth would be likened to trying to find the ground beneath you during an avalanche. This “avalanche of change” has become the new normal. School has moved to distance learning and playing with the neighborhood gang can feel more anxiety-provoking than fun. For most kids, childhood can be summed up in two words: “school” and “play.” The effect that this pandemic can have on our children is substantial because “school” and “play” are no longer the norm.
The current time is more turbulent for families now more than ever. Some families have had a parent or even both parents lose their job or be furloughed. While social distancing that is keeping us safe has also brought with it new behaviors and dysfunction. As child therapists we have seen a lot of new pathology emerge during this health crisis in children. The quarantine and social distancing behaviors that keep us safe, mimics depression. In many cases it has become normal for these youngsters not to shower or change their clothes and lose track of deadlines for school all while managing their subjective feelings of being alone, worried or sad.
In response to the current youth and mental health landscape during the Coronavirus pandemic, our company decided to run an art workshop for kids ages 9-12. We wanted to provide an escape to the children who participate in our class as well as offering them an activity to feel “normal” again when so much of the world around us has changed. In our first meeting, despite none of the children knowing each other, everyone became fast friends and really engaged in the creation of their art pieces. Parents were thrilled their kids had the ability to continue to socialize and each week the kids continued to meet and share some of their experiences with their peers. We saw the kids smile, try to make one another laugh, and listen as they shared concerns about their parent’s, some of whom are essential workers. We saw that trying to bring just a sliver of normalcy to our children really made them feel better.
Despite the severity of the current crisis we saw that through art and conversation we were able to offer kids a medium to express themselves positively while having some fun. Since our first class was so successful we decided to continue to hold virtual groups all summer in anticipation of socialization being dampened by social distancing. Some groups will be creatively focused offering art workshops and zoomba, and others will focus on topics such as coping strategies and anxiety reduction. We want our youth to be directly encouraged to engage in productive behavior and a goal oriented sense of commitment. We want to guide them so they can regain their footing and maybe don’t feel so lost in the era of the “new normal.”
Elizabeth and Susan are co-owners of RISE Wellness Group, a private therapy office located in the Bergen County area specializing in child, teen and young adult issues.
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