Valisca Joseph, who grew up in Sint Maarten, is a mom of eight-year-old twins and lives in Michigan, United States. She loves children, and her passion is to cook “and…
Personal Story: One person can make a difference
Screen Time and Developmental Delays in Children
“When we think of the future, are screens going away? No. Perhaps we need to keep this in mind when discussing how much screen time is healthy for a child,”…
Interview: Using Mindfulness to Assist Children
Ramonda Hanze is a special education professional working as a Behavioural Therapist/Orthopedagoog at PSVE Academy. She also provides therapy through her practice ‘Mindful Elevation Caribbean B.V.’, is a life coach,…
Avoiding labels in providing support to children with challenges
“My challenge to Caribbean people is to think about the following: How do you perceive our children’s problems? What would work that fits our island’s reality, culture, and values?” –…
Protecting Teenagers Against Substance Abuse
Tyanna Knight works as a substance abuse counsellor at the Turning Point Foundation, the only drug rehabilitation facility in Sint Maarten. Many patients are referred or mandated to their care…
How to build a child’s self-esteem
Jina Mahbubani is the school counsellor at Prins Willem Alexander School, a special needs school in Sint Maarten. She provides counselling and other activities to assist students’ social and emotional…
Understanding the coping behaviours of children
“If we want children and adults to cope positively with trauma or difficult situations, we must become a society that focuses on the overall wellbeing of our population.” – Drs….
Fourteen and diagnosed with extreme social anxiety
By Laura Bijnsdorp*Names are changed to protect the privacy of the individuals interviewed. Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life. Feeling anxious about certain events is…
Return to Happiness
Trauma-sensitive support at schools started after Irma After the devastation of hurricane Irma in 2017, more psychosocial support was needed in schools. This led to the implementation of the Return…
Processing trauma to create a healthy family dynamic
What is a healthy family dynamic for a child? Open communication, quality time, and a safe environment within a family structure are often said to be vital to raising a…