Holistic interventions to trauma management for teachers following disaster: expressive arts and integrated body-mind-spirit approaches

Abstract

Schools are often an entry point for offering psychosocial interventions to communities following disasters. However, teachers often lack skills to facilitate classroom activities that can address post-traumatic symptoms. Further, they are not trained in mental health and they themselves have been traumatised. A solution is to provide teachers with an intervention protocol to be used in the typical classroom. As an alternative to traditional counselling, holistic interventions can alleviate traumatic symptoms, while promoting personal wellness and community development. A method for offering both expressive arts and integrated body-mind-spirit approaches is offered with reference to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China.

Keywords::

• disaster management
• teachers
• holistic intervention
• expressive arts
• body-mind-spirit

Acknowledgements

This project was supported by The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation and the Li Ka Shing Foundation.