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Counselor's Resource Page
Counselor's Resource Page
General Information & Counselor Support
General Information & Counselor Support
The coronavirus has been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) and uncertainty around this can bring about fear and worry. It is important to remember that our children are looking towards us for reassurance and cues on how to react and respond. As the situation continues to develop and children are being exposed to media, misconceptions and fears will grow. Please make an effort to address this proactively when things come up, which they will.
We encourage you to read this page of our Continuous Learning site for tips and ideas for supporting you and your child through this new situation. If you notice you or your child are still worried or anxious, be assured that this is a normal reaction, and continue conversations and providing care for your child. If you find that additional support is needed, please reach out directly via email and we can schedule a time for a video conference or phone call with you or your child to make a plan on how to support you during this time or refer you to outside counseling resources.
Contact Details:
Ms. Karin von Rosen , B.I.S. Primary Counselor & School Psychologist
karin.vonrosen@berlin-international-school.de
Mobile: +49 (0) 160 9141 3048 (only during online-continuous learning school days 9am-3pm)
Crisis and emergency support
Social, mental health, and emergency services are available in Berlin, though sometimes hard to find.
You can find resources in multiple languages via the Berlin Welcome Center, such as in their Support in Emergency Situations and Help and Support for webpages.
The Bizirkamt Steglitz-Zehlendorf lists many Supports and Hotlines (in German) as well.
Ms. von Rosen's Food for Thought - Mindfulness
Ms. von Rosen's Food for Thought - Mindfulness
In speaking with many of staff members and families, our biggest endeavor is to help build our emotional resilience and adaptability in response to this diffuse state of anxiety, uncertainty and concern over time. As the weeks march on our collective stress reactions intensify, communication + coping become more priorities for all. It is important to become aware, cognizant and forgiving of our own "fight, flight or freeze" reactive patterns when we feel threatened or out of control.
We are all endeavoring to develop and find ways to respond instead of simply reacting; choosing and training healthy emotional balance with regular routines daily through regular physical movement, getting out into the sunshine, moments of quiet, times for growing and learning, eating well and sleeping well.
Mindfulness background:
It is ok to be not ok, to experience times of feeling overwhelmed, fearful of being out of control, tired and negative in these times. But "we are what we practice", as Jon Kabat Zinn has stated.
It is vital to take time to train our awareness (exercise our "attention muscle" or executive functions in our "thinking caps") and practice choosing how to respond and not just react with automatic fight/anger, flight/escape, freeze/denial patterns; those are the moments we "flip our lids" or sink into those negative self doubting places.
Mindfulness exercises teach our selves and bodies to train the "thinking cap" to observe and notice the reactions of the "puppy brain" (feelings) and "dinosaur brain" (survival system) and not let them simply take over. We practice this by observing and being aware of sensations, thoughts, feelings and choose not to react but to respond with self regulation and compassion in the face of enduring stress, anxiety, isolation and uncertainty.
Here are some links to help build mindfulness practice for you and your children:
Wellbeing in uncertain times flyer.pdfWohlbefinden in unsicheren Zeiten1.pdfDealing with Children's Fears or Worries
Dealing with Children's Fears or Worries
Here are some tips:
Strive to set a calm, reassuring tone when talking to your children.
Remind your children to talk to you and encourage them to do so without leading or pushing.
Let them lead the conversation; anticipate difficult questions but don’t prompt these, or overload them with information.
Offer facts to counter any misconceptions they have (particularly on the level of risk).
Keep it simple and factual, and focus on positive messages.
Reassure that most people only get a mild illness and fully recover within a few weeks; that children very rarely get sick and when they do it is usually just like a cold; that pets are not affected. Describe what the main symptoms are and encourage them to let you know if they feel unwell.
Explain all the hard work that is happening, all the doctors and nurses who can help, that we have good hospitals and medicines, highlight how countries across the world are working to look after each other, to find vaccines and treatments.
If they are concerned about grandparents or others, validate this as a sign of how caring they are and focus on positive messages about the medical care and support available.
Use the discussion as an opportunity to explore and learn about new things together – for example, how our bodies fight off viruses and that different symptoms of sickness are a sign we are working to get well; or how viruses make us sick and the things we can do to reduce our risk.
Encourage self-efficacy by talking about what they can do. This could be about hand hygiene, coughing etiquette, not touching your face, an elbow or foot tap instead of a handshake or high-five.
Five Strategies to Build Resilience and have Reassuring Conversations
Five Strategies to Build Resilience and have Reassuring Conversations
Stay Positive : Remember to keep calm. If you show anxiety or fear, your child will pick up on this and also feel nervous and afraid. Changes to the environment and routines can create unease. Having calm, panic-free discussions can ease emotions around these changes. Check-in on how your child is feeling and acknowledge and address their worries rather than ignore them.
Stick to the facts: It is important to have thoughtful conversations regarding the coronavirus to distill anxiety, worry or fear. Look at the facts. Consider your child’s age, processing, and emotions to determine how to frame these conversations to ensure your child understands. Let them know that Singapore is doing everything they can and you are up to date on current information. If they have additional questions you can look to find the answers. Check-in on what your child is thinking and address their worries. Discuss that not everything they hear or see is real. It can also be comforting to be reminded that doctors around the world are looking for ways to address the coronavirus and highlight positive news as well (eg. 15 people have recovered and been discharged).
Consider Media Consumption: When looking online, consider the source and fact-check to prevent fake news, and think before you share. Be mindful of how much media you are checking and minimize how often you are reading stories. Try to keep a healthy balance (both online and offline) in your daily routines and lifestyle.
Eliminate stigma It is important to be aware of how the coronavirus is explained to your children to avoid any person/group being blamed. Also to communicate that if someone has a fever or cough does not mean this person has the coronavirus.
Boost Your Coping Strategies When anyone has change or uncertainty this can create some levels of worry or anxiety. When this occurs, it is important to use positive coping strategies to manage those emotions. As every person is different, so too are our coping strategies. Regardless, it is important to practice positive strategies to calm down or modify our thinking to improve our outlook and overall well-being. Coping strategies can include: positive self-talk, singing, dancing, reading, drawing, music, Netflix/movies, create a gratitude list, meditation, yoga, coloring, exercise, cooking/baking, talking to a friend or family member, or doing other activities that are fun or give you joy and make you feel good.
If you notice you or your child are still worried or anxious, be assured that this is a normal reaction, and continue conversations and providing care for your child. If you find that additional support is needed, please reach out to one of us counselors who can schedule a time with you or your child to make a plan on how to support you during this time or refer you to outside counseling resources.
(Source: International School Counselor’s Association)
External Resources on Managing Feelings, Fears and Worries
External Resources on Managing Feelings, Fears and Worries
Here are reliable resources around feelings, fears and worries. Many are related specifically to the Coronavirus and some are about anxiety more generally. We’ve also included a couple of mindfulness websites that are great to help kids find a bit of peace in these really unsettling times.
Reliable Information about Covid-19
Here is a link to a list of resources for parents to help them support their children and themselves.
A special page for parents with reliable information.
Page updated
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