In light of the unprecedented psychological circumstances the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has put families and children in, the Child Safety Department (CSD), an affiliate of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah, is organising a webinar titled ‘How to Care for Your Child’s Mental Health During COVID-19’ on Monday, May 18, at 12 pm.

Presented by Dr Daniela Salazar, a Clinical Psychologist at The LightHouse Arabia, a community mental health and wellness center in Dubai providing quality psychological and psychiatric care to children, adults, couples and families. The webinar will help parents, teachers, and childcare workers gain a deeper understanding of the kinds of fears and anxieties children may be experiencing during these uncertain times. The session will offer practical tips for managing these emotions and vulnerabilities, and present home-based anxiety management tools for children.

How are homebound children perceiving this new normal, how they feel about having their social interactions brought down to a minimum, and how parents’ reactions to situations are shaping their children’s responses, are some key topics the webinar will touch upon.

The discussion is free-of-cost and open for the general public, and can be attended using the Cisco WebEx application: Link https://bit.ly/2W1kZqA. Parents and other attendees will also have the opportunity to put forth specific questions to Dr Salazar during the discussion.

Hanadi Saleh Al Yafei, Director of CSD said: “This is a part of a series of online sessions and seminars with experts on a wide range of topics, which we will continue to organise in the coming period. It falls under CSD’s mission to provide families with information that is reliable and relevant for the current times and help them ensure their children’s mental and emotional wellbeing in these extraordinary circumstances.”

Dr Daniela Salazar works with children of all ages, adolescents, and adults, specialising in psychoeducation, workshops, and individual therapy.