Continuous effort is needed when working with people that require special help and attention, which is especially true for many affected by the Beirut blast. For this reason, we combined our efforts with the Imam Sadr Foundation and chose four families in critical need of psychosocial support from a specialist.
On November 4, 2020, a social worker from the foundation, with the help of a volunteer, went on house visits and managed to talk to the families.
Family members were able to express how they felt and what they were going through. The specialist was then able to support them in different ways, giving them exercises to relieve stress, helping them find solutions to their problems, advising them on how to cope with what’s going on in their lives, and giving them new ideas to try for certain problems.
For example, one of the members of a family had been unable to cry. The social worker coached her on how to express her pent-up emotions to then overcome them. Another case was the daughter of a second family, who had grown sensitive to loud noises and had adopted selective eating habits. The social worker guided her family on how to explain the noises to her so that she wouldn’t be scared of them. She also gave tips on how to behave with her during mealtimes to encourage her eating.
The families were responsive with the specialist and her ideas proved useful. All in all, it was a fruitful day for everyone.