Written by a specialist in post-trauma treatment with years of experience in the field, this comprehensive guide is for parents, families, educators, counselors, clergy and anyone helping children recover from traumatic life events. Whether a natural disaster, violent crime, auto or plane crash, a sudden or untimely death, most adults are unsure of how to help their children through such intense psychological, emotional, and spiritual injuries. This book was written to help families of children who have been victims of trauma, witnesses to crime or trauma, or impacted by tragedies in the world and in their communities. While this guide is not a substitute for professional therapy, it can be used as a resource for what to say and do when children ask why something happened, or if it will happen again. This guide can't offer a detour around suffering, but it can offer a path and direction through it. Through the author's case examples of her work with children exposed to trauma, she helps the reader better understand and prepare for the impact of trauma and the natural responses children are likely to experience. Step by step you will journey through the heart, mind, body, and soul of children who have healed and see how they did it. Healing is a process that happens in unique ways to each person. This book will help you expand the love, wisdom and knowledge you already possess to help your child through the process. It provides clear and concise healing strategies for emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual well-being-emphasizing the power of loving bonds in the child's journey toward full recovery.

Nonverbal interactions are applied to trauma treatment for more effective results. The model of treatment developed here is grounded in the physical, psychological, and cognitive reactions children have to traumatic experiences and the consequences of those experiences. The approach to treatment utilizes the integrative capacity of the brain to create a self, foster insight, and produce change. Treatment strategies are based on cutting-edge understanding of neurobiology, the development of the brain, and the storage and retrieval of traumatic memory. Case vignettes illustrate specific examples of the reactions of children, families, and teens to acute and repeated exposure to traumatic events. Also presented is the most recent knowledge of the role of the right hemisphere (RH) in development and therapy. Right brain communication, and how to recognize the non-verbal symbolic and unconscious, affective processes will be explained, along with examples of how the therapist can utilize art making, media, tools, and self to engage in a two-person biology.

Childhood traumas range widely in their severity and impact. A car accident, an earthquake or flood, being attacked by a dog, undergoing a frightening medical treatment?all are distinctly different events yet all provoke common symptoms of psychological trauma. These symptoms may include fearfulness, nightmares, and dramatic behavioral or personality changes. And parental anxiety over changes in a child can, in turn, complicate the healing process. Children and Trauma teaches parents and professionals about the effects of such ordeals on children and offers a blueprint for restoring a child's sense of safety and balance. Cynthia Monahon, a child psychologist who specializes in the treatment of psychological trauma, offers hope and reassurance for parents. She suggests straightforward ways to help kids through tough times, and also describes in detail the warning signs that indicate a child needs professional help. Monahon helps adults understand psychological trauma from a child's point of view and explores the ways both parents and professionals can help children heal.

Adult children of alcoholics have learned how to "survive," but often have difficulty "living" their lives. The trauma and grief of childhood losses affect every aspect of the life of an adult child of an alcoholic (ACoA). Now the authors of the bestselling After the Tears offer further insight into the origin and cost of childhood pain for those who grew up in alcoholic families. In this revised and expanded edition, Jane Middelton-Moz and Lorie Dwinell combine their years of experience in working with ACoAs, tackling issues such as intimacy, sibling relationships, codependency, breaking the alcoholic pattern, building a relationship with the inner child, forgiveness, and opening a window to spirituality.

Understand the different types of upsets and traumas your child may experience—and learn how to teach them how to be resilient, confident, and even joyful The number of anxious, depressed, hyperactive and withdrawn children is staggering—and still growing! Millions have experienced bullying, violence (real or in the media), abuse or sexual molestation. Many other kids have been traumatized from more “ordinary” ordeals such as terrifying medical procedures, accidents, loss and divorce. Trauma-Proofing Your Kids sends a lifeline to parents who wonder how they can help their worried and troubled children now. It offers simple but powerful tools to keep children safe from danger and to help them “bounce back” after feeling scared and overwhelmed. No longer will kids have to be passive prey to predators or the innocent victims of life’s circumstances. In addition to arming parents with priceless protective strategies, best-selling authors Dr. Peter A. Levine and Maggie Kline offer an antidote to trauma and a recipe for creating resilient kids no matter what misfortune has besieged them. Trauma-Proofing Your Kids is a treasure trove of simple-to-follow “stress-busting,” boundary-setting, sensory/motor-awareness activities that counteract trauma’s effect on a child’s body, mind and spirit. Including a chapter on how to navigate the inevitable difficulties that arise during the various ages and stages of development, this ground-breaking book simplifies an often mystifying and complex subject, empowering parents to raise truly confident and joyful kids despite stressful and turbulent times.

...Kendall Johnson conveys great empathy and understanding of the problems, which have been prevented with wisdom and clarity.' Nursing Times

An innovative somatic and attachment-based treatment for working with children and adolescents who suffer from complex trauma and neglect "[This] is a ground-breaking new approach to treating traumatized children, based on the combination of keen clinical observation, sensory integration, and a deep understanding of the latest advances in the neuroscience of trauma."—Bessel van der Kolk, MD, best-selling author of The Body Keeps the Score The SMART (Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment) program addresses three key processes that can be derailed by developmental trauma--somatic regulation, trauma processing, and attachment-building--and uses movement and sensation to target the neurological structures that support emotional and behavioral regulation. Transforming Trauma in Children and Adolescents teaches therapists the eight key skills required for SMART mastery and provides seven regulation tools for clients, helping children and adolescents manage their feelings and attend to developmental tasks like making friends, participating at school, learning to play with others, and developing a sense of self that includes--but isn't defined by--the trauma they've experienced. Enriched with case studies and recommended adaptations, the book includes resources for parents and other caregivers who want to provide ongoing supportive care outside the clinical setting.

Children can experience trauma from a variety of situations, including neglect, physical, sexual, or psychological abuse, death of a loved one, bullying, racism, and more. Trauma occurs when children are exposed to an experience perceived as threatening or harmful and respond with intense fear that affects them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Justin and Lindsey Holcomb help parents and caregivers recognize the signs of trauma and guide them in stepping into children’s lives and demonstrating Jesus’s care and protection for them. The compassionate and helpful response of parents or caregivers can help children who have experienced trauma to access spiritual, emotional, and physical healing.

This is the authoritative guide to conducting trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), a systematic, evidence-based treatment for traumatized children and their families. Provided is a comprehensive framework for assessing posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and other symptoms; developing a flexible, individualized treatment plan; and working collaboratively with children and parents to build core skills in such areas as affect regulation and safety. Specific guidance is offered for responding to different types of traumatic events, with an entire section devoted to grief-focused components. Useful appendices feature resources, reproducible handouts, and information on obtaining additional training. TF-CBT has been nationally recognized as an exemplary evidence-based program. See also the edited volume Trauma-Focused CBT for Children and Adolescents: Treatment Applications for more information on tailoring TF-CBT to children's varying developmental levels and cultural backgrounds.

Imagine what it would be like to become the healthiest person you could be..... This is the inherent right of each individual but when lingering emotional trauma from our childhood blocks the normal developmental process, we get struck. As each of us strives to become the healthiest person we possibly can, we will have to come face-to-face with emotional fears that may be the result of traumatic childhoods. Although that journey may be paved with the paid of unresolved grief and unrecognized loss, this book will serve as the map to guide you and help you rediscover your discarded self... ...the best self you were always meant to be.