Helping Children by Learning about Trauma
When I founded The Lonon Foundation last year, I knew that I wanted to eventually add an educational arm to the resources we provide. But, at the time, I didn't know how. As someone who has suffered from PTSD and anxiety from being a caregiver to a cancer patient, I know the value of therapy. What I didn't know, however, was how to help my own children with their suffering, or how to advocate for other children who have been through a similar traumatic experience.
How many times do we hear the saying, "children are resilient"? I know I have heard it my entire life, and especially once people know that my children lost their father to cancer. Is there truth to this statement? Perhaps. But, to ensure that our children are resilient is based on more than just some innate behavior born in every child. It's an understanding and modeling of "resiliency" strategies that can help raise emotionally healthy and strong adults despite their childhood traumas.
So, to honor our mission and provide resources for children who have been affected by a parent or caregiver's cancer, we are offering our first continuing education class, "How Trauma Affects Children: Intervention and Treatment", taught by Dr. Libby Ralston, to anyone in the area who works with children who have been through trauma, including having a parent with cancer. This course is FREE to all attendees because of monies raised from private donors, local and regional businesses and corporations, and grassroots fundraising campaigns.
We are honored to provide this educational resource to our community, supporting those that need it most: our children.
To donate, please visit www.thelononfoudation.org/donate
Libby Ralston, Ph.D. was the founding director, Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center, an accredited CAC in Charleston, SC. and since retirement serves as the Director Emeritus. Dr. Ralston is clinical faculty, Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of SC., served on the NCA Board, the mental health standard committee, participated in developing the CAC Director’s Guide to Mental Health services and a CAC Director's Tool Kit to implementing the NCA 2017 MH accreditation standard. She currently serves on the South Carolina (SC) Foster Care Health Advisory Committee and is the chair of the SC Children’s Justice Act Task Force.
