The authors describe a psychoanalytically informed model of intervention with displaced families in the context of New York City's migrant crisis. Migrant mothers housed in a migrant shelter were trained to become maestras and run a playroom for children aged 0–4 and their parents. A psychoanalytically informed work discussion group was offered to the maestras as a space of containment and reflection. The group allowed the maestras to “speak the unspeakable” and connect to their own traumatic stories. This, in turn, made them aware of their own contribution to interpersonal impasses with coworkers and promoted a deeper understanding of the behavioral difficulties exhibited by children in the playroom. A case of psychoanalytic parent–child psychotherapy is also presented to illustrate how a psychoanalytic attitude in listening and intervening can promote developmental progress and mitigate the effect of personal, relational and social trauma, even when implemented beyond the consulting room.