Los Angeles County faced an unprecedented crisis as three major wildfires forced nearly 180,000 residents to evacuate, marking one of the largest displacement events in the city's history.
The Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires prompted widespread school closures across the L.A. Unified School District, leaving parents to navigate both immediate safety concerns and their children's emotional needs.
The fires consumed thousands of acres and threatened densely populated neighborhoods from Pacific Palisades to the San Fernando Valley, according to emergency response officials.
Mental health professionals across the county mobilized to provide crisis counseling, with particular attention to helping parents address their children's concerns about displacement and uncertainty.
Mental health professionals across the county mobilized to provide crisis counseling, with particular attention to helping parents address their children's concerns about displacement and uncertainty.
In an interview with LAist, Rebecca Hedrick, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, underscored the importance of validating children's feelings. She emphasized that acknowledging their fears and sadness while ensuring their safety was crucial. Hedrick also suggested involving children in activities like packing an emergency go-bag, as it gave them a sense of agency and control.
With images of the fires flooding media and social media, it was advisable to limit children's exposure, Hedrick told LAist. Maintaining a routine, despite disruptions, could offer children stability. Engaging them in daily tasks or creative expressions, like using toys to express feelings, could also help in mitigating their sense of helplessness.
In cases where families had lost their homes, Dr. William Lacey-Bisetty of the Center for Connection in Santa Barbara spoke about redefining what "home" meant. "Home is this connection, this family, this community we have, and those things are going to maintain even with the loss of the material aspects of home, the physical space," he told LAist. Allowing children to express grief over lost possessions, like toys, could aid in emotional recovery.
To assist children in coping, adults were encouraged to model calm through activities like playing games or constructing forts, Hedrick said. Acknowledging and distinguishing between healthy suppression and repression of emotions was important when dealing with intense grief or anxiety, she mentioned.
Speaking on LAist's AirTalk program, Dr. Sabrina Renteria, also a psychiatrist at Cedars-Sinai, highlighted the need for dialogue. She explained that speaking directly with kids about their understanding of events could clear up misunderstandings they might form using their imaginations.
Adults coping with evacuation or loss were reminded to care for themselves too. Accepting one's own anxiety and managing it constructively was crucial. During her AirTalk appearance, Renteria pointed out that after large-scale disasters, people might experience shock, denial, mood changes, fatigue, or even psychosomatic symptoms. Simple practices like breathing exercises, balanced nutrition, and avoiding harmful substances could contribute to emotional recovery.
Mental health experts urged parents to establish honest, age-appropriate dialogue with children about evacuation plans and safety measures. Crisis counselors emphasized that maintaining routine, even in temporary housing, helps children cope with displacement stress.