Erin's Corner

You Are Not Alone: A Guide to Helping Your Children through Deployment

While deployment can be a traumatic time for most families, the experiences and challenges of deployment for the families of our National Guard and other Reservists often go misunderstood.   One reason for this is that these families often live in civilian communities where there is limited awareness and understanding of what it means to be part of military life, and especially, of what it means to have a parent or primary caregiver go off to war.  Thus, many of these children often do not receive the attention, care, and support that they require during deployment and reunion.    While there is no right way to provide all of the attention and support that these children need, I am hopeful that this article will provide valuable information to help you understand and support children during and after deployment.  Because a child’s age plays such a crucial role in his or her experiences and needs during and after deployment, we will look at how to recognize and respond to children’s needs based on their developmental stage.

Click here to read the entire article by Erin (PDF)

About Erin Metheny

Erin Metheny, LMFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in McLean, Virginia. She has helped people from all walks of life and specializes in helping couples, parents, and families achieve the connection and closeness that they desire and deserve so they can live fulfilling and meaningful lives.  She is committed to providing a safe space for people to get support and achieve their goals for their lives.  In addition to her practice, she volunteers through Give An Hour, a non-profit organization providing free mental health services to U.S. troops and their families.  She hopes that through writing articles for Our Military Kids, Inc, she can offer support and reassurance to more people.  For more information about Erin, visit her website at www.erinmetheny.com.