For people who have family, friends or roots in Israel or the Gaza Strip but dont live there themselves, its been almost impossible to grapple with the events of the past week while continuing to go about daily life.

The majority of casualties in the Israel-Hamas war thus far have been civilians. For people in the U.S. with loved ones or roots in the region, the worry, anxiety and guilt over being relatively safe in the States is more present than ever, said Nikita Fernandes , a therapist in New York City.

As an immigrant from India, Fernandes said shes all too familiar with that combination of feelings whenever she reads upsetting news reports about her country.

When tragedy strikes your homeland and youre away from home, you are allowed to feel frightened, shocked and angry at the same time, and you can hold all of these emotions with compassion, she told HuffPost. You have to be gentle with yourself.

Moments like this often tap into intergenerational trauma. Studies have shown that the trauma of strife in your homeland can effectively be passed down from one generation to the next, taking a toll on a persons mental health and well-being.

Through my own lived experiences and the lived experiences of my loved ones, I have learned that its OK and normal to feel a loss of control when we are away from our homeland in the face of tragedy, Fernandes said.

Below, Fernandes and other mental health practitioners share advice on how to handle yourself with care if you belong to any of the affected diasporas.

Dont tell yourself theres a right or wrong way to feel right now.

Give yourself permission to experience every feeling you have to process right now, even if what you are feeling is confusing and you cant make sense of it, said Sodah Minty , a psychologist and activist who was born in apartheid South Africa.

When we are experiencing trauma, we cannot predict what we will feel or how we, or the world, will react, Minty said. Permission to accept uncertainty goes against our nature we are used to planning, anticipating, getting ahead, preventing uncertainty but we must accept a lack of control over what happens outside of our reach.

Guilt, anxiety and grief mean that you care deeply, said Akua Boateng , a psychotherapist in private practice in South Philadelphia. Let these feelings be with you.

This is your way to offer support from afar, Boateng explained. Acknowledge they are a part of your deep compassion for your home and family.

Weep, feel, light a candle in prayer, express your care to loved ones, and let your loving action be how you hold hope and honor for them in their time of need, she said.