It's time to go back to life's "basics" - family, religion, and other core values - in the wake of last week's attacks on the United States, say Island counsellors.

And parents should focus on reassuring their children that they are safe.

Psychologists expect the attacks, which left an unspecified number of people dead and injured and has generated intense media coverage, to take a psychological and emotional toll on many Island residents.

Already, says Ann Duncan, a lawyer and clinical psychologist at Ashton Associates, her practice and a number of other psychologists are offering their counselling services at reduced rates.

"That's what you do when the world stops," she told The Royal Gazette.

Dr. Duncan said that cases so far include clients who feel traumatised and experience a sense of violation. She said clients: "Locals who have been in the subway station below the World Trade Center - who have shopped in New York, who have a vision of a neighbour to the West who is strong and can defend them, so the sense of violation is felt both personally as well as from the level of security."

"It affects all of us and the children often are the most perplexed because they see the sadness in the parents but they don't understand the video game that blew up the tower," she continued. "So the parents need to provide consistency, structure and reassurance and appreciate the child will regress."

Adults are reporting feelings of irritability and anxiety, she said.

"One of the things people are coming in for is reassurance that they are not going crazy," she said. "It's a crazy making event - and the research shows that when the (space shuttle) Challenger blew up and when Kennedy was assassinated there was a cultural perception shift. When Kennedy died people had a chance to reassess their value system. When the Challenger blew up people had a chance to reassess their goals and aspirations."

Last week's attacks - with an estimated seven thousand people killed "gives everyone the opportunity to mourn the departed souls and cherish their kids", and go back to the basics, she added.

Kuni Frith-Black, a holistic counsellor, said that a number of her clients were experiencing anxiety about the future, and that the media coverage of the events could affect the psyche.

"I have to reassure them that these feelings are quite valid and they are not alone," she said. "Disastrous events do bring about physical and psychological imbalances."

She added that the degree of impact depended on individuals' coping mechanisms. Mrs. Frith-Black, a mother of a 14 year old suggested for parents: "There's a sensible way to speak to children - depending on their age. Comfort as much as possible, without sensationalising the event even further."

"Even though you may be feeling a certain level of anxiety your focus should be on giving comfort and support to your children particularly if they are asking questions... There's no need to draw their attention to it if they're not. But if you notice changes in their behaviour such as jitteriness, then comfort and if it gets out of hand seek the advice of a professional."

Asked what advice she gave her clients, Dr. Duncan said: "We talk about basics - this is not a time to go on a buying spree or party until you pass out... This is a time to pull back together, strengthen the family structure, go visit your mother."

The current crisis is being received differently than others of recent history, she added, because of its proximity. Media coverage of the Gulf War or the massacre of 800,000 people in Rwanda did not have the same psychological impact.

"It was so hard for people to understand it was real," she said of the Gulf War coverage. "This one has shifted things because there are people who died, but it's us... In Rwanda we could walk away because it was like a video game on T.V."

The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is experiencing a substantial increase in demand for its counselling services, a counsellor said yesterday but figures were not immediately available.

"We're working with people in coping with the disaster in terms of the initial responses - fear, guilty feelings, confusion and anger. And then what to expect in the way of later responses to disaster," said Lauren Trott, a counsellor with the Programme.

"It's important to help people to know what they can do at a time like this."

People should learn how to recognise their own feelings, should not isolate themselves and to tolerate other people's reactions, she said when asked what general advice she could offer people who were impacted by the tragedy.

She also recommended stress reduction activities such as walking and other physical activities.

"We all respond differently and it's okay," she said. And she said people should take good care of themselves by resting and eating properly.