When The Ground Shakes: Earthquake Preparedness Book for Physical and Emotional Health of Children

Preparing children for an unpredictable event, such as an earthquake, is one of the best ways to reduce trauma and maintain children’s mental and emotional well-beings. We combined our experiences as a Marriage & Family Therapist and School Counselor to write this book, both specializing in work with young children for more than 20 years. Our first-hand experience helping children cope with traumas, including natural disasters, is what opened our eyes to the need for this type of self-help guidance book. This book was written to introduce the concept of an earthquake, and to provide children with tools to stay safe and cope during the event. There are books available that teach children what to do during an earthquake. The purpose of our book is to address children’s emotional well-beings and to help reduce their anxiety and fear. Children learn through repetition. We recommend reading and practicing the skills introduced in this book on a regular basis. This book can also be used post-earthquake to help kids cope with their emotions and help them make sense of what has happened. When children know what to do, they are less likely to be scarred by the traumatic event.

We hope adults and children find this book informative and fun, even in the most stressful times.

Warmly,

Irit Almog & Shoshana Wheeler

Irit Almog, MA, LMFT is a Psychotherapist, Certified Disaster Mental Health Response Specialist, trainer, author, educator and a mother, providing high quality care to children and the adults in their life. After witnessing the traumatic effects that disasters can have on a child's emotional wellness, she made it her life mission to empower parents and educators with the tools to support themselves and the children's in their lives. Irit wrote the book "When the Ground Shakes" and self-help crisis coping kits that guide children through stressful life changing events. Irit travels the world, training and teaching teachers and adults how to provide support to themselves and to children in the wake of unpredictable disasters such as earthquakes. Irit's "When the Ground Shakes" book and workbooks are highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular and kid-friendly, addition to any family, preschool, elementary school and community libraries. The book entertains children while it shows them how to understand and master their feelings in an unpredictable event such as an earthquake.

Shoshana Wheeler, MA is an award-winning educator and counselor. After receiving her Masters of Science Degree in Counseling and Guidance from California Lutheran University, she trained with The Ojai Foundation Center for Council to bring the forum of council to students, families, and individuals. Currently, Shoshana is a school counselor in the Las Virgenes Unified School District and at a charter school in Ventura, CA. She is also a certified parent educator through the Echo Center of Los Angeles and teaches Compassionate Parenting in Ventura County. She received the Ventura County SELPA Golden Bell Award in 2003 and was Teacher of The Month for the CVUSD in April 2004. For the last 15 years, Shoshana has been a practitioner of Nonviolent Communication, also known as compassionate communication. She leads workshops for both individuals and couples in Nonviolent Communication and The Way of Council, two of the most powerful communication tools available today. With extensive training in Restorative Justice, she also uses this model with students and families to resolve conflicts and bring healing to tension filled situations.