Everyone knows the rules of growing up. Once you're eighteen things become clearer, childhood problems melt away, and you're ready to go out and conquer the world. You're now an adult. You can look your parents in the eye as equals. Officially, you're on your own, and now you'll only look back fondly at what you once were, an immature child still learning about life. Or so you'd think. Jake is a young adult who grew up with the support of his family, especially his mother, Elaine. Though he experienced some rough patches as a child and fitting in was a constant challenge, she's been there for him. But it's time for Jake to "grow up" and for him, that means no longer needing his family. It turns out that life without them is a far greater struggle than he ever imagined. Living independently is hard, but admitting it is even harder. Join this true story of conflict and heart-pounding moments, as both mother and son explore the concept of parenting as a lifelong commitment.

Stella greets Christopher when he shrinks and falls through the cracks in the school floor due to boredom. The two decide to look around and discover some classrooms where children are actively participating in their education and enjoying learning.

Psychodynamic theory and practice are often misunderstood as appropriate only for the worried well or for those whose problems are minimal or routine. Nothing could be further from the truth. This book shows how psychodynamically informed, clinically based social care is essential to working with individuals whose problems are both psychological and social. Each chapter addresses populations struggling with structural inequities, such as racism, classism, and discrimination based on immigrant status, language differences, disability, and sexual orientation. The authors explain how to provide psychodynamically informed assessment and practice when working with those suffering from mental illness, addiction, homelessness, and cognitive, visual, or auditory impairments, as well as people in prisons, in orphanages, and on child welfare. The volume supports the idea that becoming aware of ourselves helps us understand ourselves: a key approach for helping clients contain and name their feelings, deal with desire and conflict, achieve self-regulation and self-esteem, and alter attachment styles toward greater agency and empowerment. Yet autonomy and empowerment are not birthrights; they are capacities that must be fostered under optimal clinical conditions. This collection uses concepts derived from drive theory, ego psychology, object relations, trauma theory, attachment theory, self psychology, relational theories, and intersubjectivity in clinical work with vulnerable and oppressed populations. Contributors are experienced practitioners whose work with vulnerable populations has enabled them to elicit and find common humanity with their clients. The authors consistently convey respect for the considerable strength and resilience of the populations with whom they work. Emphasizing both the inner and social structural lives of client and clinician and their interacting social identities, this anthology uniquely realizes the complexity of clinical practice with diverse populations.

Cancer disappearing without trace. A premature baby confounding the medical predictions about his prognosis. A teenager seeing her long-term debilitating illness vanish in an instant. A church receiving cash out of thin air, ensuring it survives the threat of closure. A man defying death, multiple times, following life-threatening injuries sustained in a head-on road collision. Light through the Cracks contains ten true stories, united by a common theme: All of them feature ordinary people encountering God, in extraordinary ways, in the toughest of life's circumstances. Starting with her own dramatic story of the car accident that could have left her dead or paralysed, Joanna Watson writes authentically and compellingly of how God breaks in when life turns tough. Each story raises faith, builds hope, and encourages readers to look for God's Light through the cracks in their own challenging situations.

In a small Southern town in 1944, two girls secretly help a seriously ill army deserter, a decision that changes their perceptions of right and wrong. Issues of moral ambiguity and accepting consequences for actions are thoughtfully considered in this deftly crafted story.

"Run. Keep running. You're doing the right thing. Lay low. Head down. Don't look back. Just keep running. And whatever you do, don't tread on the cracks..." Leo's world has been turned upside down. Her parents are gone and her bird-loving uncle is getting too close for comfort. She is only sure of one thing...she must get out. In a desperate bid to find the grandparents she never knew, Leo jumps on a train to Glasgow, penniless and stealing food to survive. A nationwide hunt for her begins. Will she track down her grandparents, or will her uncle get to her first?

Would a good God allow some people to be lost to hell due to the bad luck of their circumstances (such as never hearing the Christian gospel)? Do some who are lost “slip through the cracks” (i.e., they would have freely chosen to be saved if only God had placed them into different circumstances)? After surveying and responding to other significant objections within the so-called “soteriological problem of evil,” this groundbreaking new work identifies the above as the most difficult soteriological challenge for Christian theism and explores it in great depth. Finding William Lane Craig’s famous solution to this problem insightful but ultimately inadequate, the book proposes an alternative solution that upholds Christian exclusivism (the view that one must hear and respond to the gospel to be saved) and is both biblically consistent and philosophically plausible. It offers an intriguing possibility for how God might ensure that all people have an opportunity to be saved and that none who are lost slip through the cracks in a way that is inconsistent with God’s goodness. Additionally, the book reveals how its response to this soteriological problem has much value for addressing key aspects of the broader problem of evil.

Iris Grace is a beautiful little girl who, from a very young age, barely communicated, avoided social interaction with other people, and rarely smiled. From both before her diagnosis of autism and after, she seemed trapped in her own world, unable to connect with those around her. One day, her mother brought home a Maine Coon kitten for Iris, even though cats aren’t typically thought of as therapy pets. Thula, named after one of Iris’s favorite African lullabies and meaning “peace” in Zulu, immediately bonded with Iris. Thula knew right away how to assuage Iris when she became overstimulated; when to intervene when Iris became overwhelmed; and how to provide distraction when Iris started heading toward a meltdown. Whether exploring, playing, sleeping, or taking a bath with Iris or accompanying the family on a bike ride, Thula became so much more than a therapy cat. With Thula’s safe companionship, Iris began to talk and interact with her family. This heartwarming story is illustrated with sixty of Iris’s gorgeous impressionistic paintings, works of art that have allowed her to express herself since the age of three. A gifted artist, Iris sees the natural world in a profoundly vivid and visceral way. With Thula by her side, she’ll sit and paint for hours, and the results are stunning. Inspiring and touching, Iris Grace follows the struggles and triumphs of a family—and a miracle cat—as they learn to connect with an amazing child.

Falling Through the Cracks is a gripping coming of age story of a foster child's search for belonging. This tragic memoir takes us on the often unseen journey of a child growing up in the foster care system and the profound impact of repeated trauma on a child's development. Mozella takes you outside of yourself as she shares her intimate thoughts and truths starting with removal from her family at age four, over 22 abusive and neglectful placements, to aging out of foster care at 18. Upon adulthood she left the system unprepared, ill equipped, and ever searching for her place in the world.This memoir is intended for mature audiences.