Columbine. Las Vegas Rt. 91. Sandy Hook. Robb Elementary School. These shootings (and sadly, so many more) are seared into our public consciousness. I can still remember where I was when the news about Columbine broke. For many Post-Traumatic Parents, the thought of mass violence or school shootings is terrifying, because who knows better than us just how unsafe the world is? Even if our trauma wasn't about mass violence, the unsafe feeling trauma leaves behind affects us. 

In this deeply moving episode, the women of Survivors Path talk about the courage it takes to parent after being in a mass casualty event, the way trauma leaves a long shadow on our lives, and how to go on. This episode is all about the "M" of our "AIM" model for coping with trauma - making a mission and meaning out of it. For Survivors Path, that mission is supporting other survivors. Trigger warning - this episode does talk about mass violence, shooting, death, and the death of children. I’m deeply honored to have Survivors Path on the Post-Traumatic Parenting podcast and I can’t wait for you to listen to the episode.

• What is it like to be a parent who has experienced trauma themselves and how it affects interactions with their children
• The impact of trauma on their parenting journey, including panic attacks, anxiety, and navigating their children’s exposure to violence
• The challenges of being a post-traumatic parent: setting boundaries, navigating difficult conversations with their children, and dealing with children's exposure to violence in the media
• Why should you teach children the reasons behind rules
• The judgment faced by mass shooting survivors in handling their experiences and the challenges of navigating through trauma-related fears
• Coping with stress and trauma through dissociation and its drawbacks
• Anticipatory anxiety and the aftermath of anniversaries related to traumatic events
• The importance of support, friendship, and solidarity among mass violence survivors
• Finding acceptance, integrating trauma into one's identity, and creating meaning and purpose in life as part of the healing process
• Recognizing and respecting children's interests and desires while discussing the consequences and responsibilities
• How to have open communication and provide a safe space for discussing difficult topics with children
• Recognizing that it's okay not to know every detail of a child's experience and allowing them to advocate for them something 

Connect with me on Instagram @dr.koslowitzpsychology and for full show notes and more resources visit www.drrobynkoslowitz.com/2023/05/18/post-traumatic-parenting-after-mass-violence-survivors-path-share-their-wisdom/