CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The beginning of a new school year is a stressful time for almost everyone. But when you add in a pandemic, virtual classes, technology problems, and social distancing it's anxiety overload for both parents and students alike.
“We’re helping them deal with what’s going on right now real-time and emotionally," Dr. Gigi Hamilton said.
Gigi Hamilton, founder of Personal Enrichment Counseling & Consulting Services in Charlotte, and Sherry Latten of Latten & Associates created the Emotional Reintegration program.
“It’s designed to help deal with emotions that people have gone through since March," Dr. Hamilton said.
The three-hour program guides administrators, teachers, and students of all ages through a multi-step process that includes Acknowledging, Reconnecting, and Cultivating.
"It’s highly interactive it’s not a situation where we lecture and people just take notes and walk away," Latten said. "It's extremely engaging for teachers and students."
The workshop also uses reflection, dialogue, and group activities to help individuals understand and grow from emotions created by COVID-19.
The program has been fully designed to support in-person or virtual delivery for students and families who are participating in distance learning.
“We are teaching the teachers and administrators to care for themselves so they can care for the students," Latten said.
School representatives can also be certified to deliver the program to students.
“As COVID hit we were all jolted out of our own normal way of operating and so what we had to do was come up with a plan to help people deal with that," Dr. Hamilton said.
To learn more about the Emotional Reintegration program inquire at shlatten@latteninc.com or personallyenriched@gmail.com.