Oakton, Va., April 19, 2007– Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS), an organization dedicated to empowering and strengthening families and the community, announced that it will provide education workshops to those affected by the Virginia Tech tragedy. NVFS has extensive training in trauma recovery and helping families cope with tragedies through its Survivors’ Fund Project, a program set up to help those affected by the 9/11 attacks. Stephanie Berkowitz, Director of the Survivors’ Fund Project said, “NVFS feels strongly that we have a responsibility to the greater community to share our expertise in a manner that will support those struggling to deal with the tragic events that happened at Virginia Tech. We are fortunate to have a partner in the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region that supports our work in the broader community.”
This educational workshop is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and abilities to recognize the signs and symptoms of extreme stress reactions, to initiate self-care activities, and to develop techniques to address their fears and increase their ability to cope with and heal from traumatic loss. The workshop will help participants understand what to expect in the next few weeks, and there after, as the healing and recovery process moves forward. The session will be held at Falls Church Presbyterian Church, 225 East Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22041 on Thursday, April 26, from 7:00 – 9:00 PM.
The session will provide an opportunity to openly discuss reactions from that day. “Traumatic events such as the incident at Virginia Tech have a profound impact on all of us. Even if we do not know anyone personally involved, it is likely that we will know someone who does since Tech has a large population of Northern Virginia high school graduates. Additionally, extensive media coverage brings the reality of the event home even though we were not there. We want people to know that it’s not unusual to experience a wide range of emotional or physical reactions. This is a normal response to events of this kind,” says Sharon S. Frost, Vice President of Intensive Family Services.