School Shooting Anxiety and Childhood Grief: A Therapist's Perspective from Columbine's District

[CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussions of school shootings, childhood trauma, grief, loss, and anxiety that some listeners may find distressing.]In this powerful and heartbreaking conversation, we speak with a Child and Youth Therapist practicing in Colorado's Columbine district—where America's understanding of school violence began, and where it continues today.Specializing in grief and anxiety, she shares what it's really like in her therapy office: children who are terrified to attend school, not because of typical childhood fears, but because they genuinely believe they might die. Kids processing profound loss while simultaneously living in fear. Parents desperate for reassurance she cannot give. The impossible position of validating fears that are, tragically, grounded in reality.This isn't a conversation about solutions or silver linings—it's an unflinching look at how school shooting anxiety and childhood grief are shaping an entire generation of American children, told by someone witnessing it firsthand.Topics covered:The psychological impact of school shooting drills and threatsHow children process grief, loss, and ongoing traumaWorking with anxiety rooted in legitimate dangerThe intersection of grief and fear in children's mental healthThe mental health crisis in communities affected by school violenceWhat parents and educators need to understandRelevant for: parents, educators, mental health professionals, grief counselors, policy advocates, anyone seeking to understand the real-world impact of gun violence and loss on children's mental health. Stacy Schaffer, MA, LPC, is a dedicated children’s therapist in Arvada, Colorado, has more than twenty years of experience. Specializing in grief and anxiety, she creates a safe space for healing. She loves surfing, kickboxing, reading,  quality time with friends and her golden retriever/therapy dog Willow. With Love from a Children's Therapist is her first book, and she hopes people feel both seen and heard in the pages.authorstacyschaffer.comIG: hoperestored FB: Stacy SchafferTikTok: authorstacyschafferYour host, Kelly Kingsland, is The Unscripted Woman™ Reinvention Architect — a feminine energetics expert, Reiki Master & Teacher, and international best-selling author who helps high-achieving women dismantle the identities that no longer fit and design the next chapter of their lives with clarity, power, and ease.After decades of living by the rules, the roles, and the relentless expectations placed on women, Kelly walked through her own unraveling — burnout, identity collapse, and the quiet ache of knowing she was meant for more. What she discovered on the other side became the foundation of her work: Success doesn’t require harder. It requires truer.Through her signature blend of feminine energetics, subconscious alignment, and soul-level strategy, Kelly guides corporate refugees, empty nesters, and women in transition into the chapter they were always meant to live — one defined by confidence, freedom, and a deep reconnection with their inner power.She is the creator and host of The Unscripted Woman Podcast, where she spotlights real, raw conversations with women who are rewriting the rules and rising on their own terms.Kelly’s mission is simple: to help women stop following the script—and architect a life that finally feels like theirs.Kelly can be reached at radiantfemme.ca or https://www.facebook.com/kelly.m.kingslandSupport the show