by Jeraldine Ching, Ignite Office

Last Oct. 26, 2009, the Ignatian Institute for Teaching Excellence (IGNITE) invited Dra. Cara Fernandez to give a talk on crisis counseling. Dra. Fernandez is a Xavier parent and a professor of the Ateneo de Manila University Psychology Department.

During the two-hour lecture given to the school counselors, she discussed the dynamics of Post-Trauma Stress brought about by a crisis situation like typhoon Ondoy, and how understanding the dynamics can help us care for our survivors here in Xavier School.

These are some Post-Trauma Stress Symptoms which might be present after a crisis situation: flashbacks, nightmares, feelings of intense distress when reminded of the situation, intense physical reactions to reminders of the event, difficulty falling or staying asleep, irritability or outbursts of anger, difficulty concentrating, hypervigilance, feeling jumpy and easily startled, loss of interest in activities and life in general, feeling detached from others and emotionally numb, sense of a limited future, and feelings of mistrust and betrayal.

If you manifest a number of these symptoms mentioned above or would like to know more about Post-Trauma Stress, please feel free to visit the IGNITE office or any of the guidance counselors. We also have a Crisis Counseling Primer that we can share with anyone interested.