Dissociation in Traumatized Children and Adolescents presents a series of unique and compelling case studies written by some of the foremost international experts in the study of dissociation in young people. In the new edition, chapters have been updated to include discussion of the most recent findings in trauma and neuroscience as well as Joyanna Silberg’s popular affect-avoidance model. In addition, Sandra Wieland’s incisive commentaries on each case study have been updated. Each chapter presents a detailed narrative of a therapist's work with a child or adolescent interspersed with the therapist's own thought process, and every therapist explains the theory and research behind her clinical decisions. The case studies present many aspects of working with traumatized children—attachment work, trauma processing, work with the family, interactions with the community, psychoeducation related to dissociation, and encouragement of communication between the dissociated parts—and provide a frank analysis of the difficulties clinicians encounter in various therapeutic situations. While the book is exceptional in its clear and detailed descriptions of theory related to dissociation in children, most importantly, it illustrates how theory can be translated into successful therapeutic interactions.
Illustrates the critical association between pathological dissociation and trauma, and provides a clear synthesis of what is known about the psychobiology of dissociative disorders and the effects of pathological dissociation on cognition and memory. Amply illustrated with clinical vignettes, it also offers an array of diagnostic and treatment techniques.
In this second edition of Joyanna Silberg’s classic The Child Survivor, practitioners who treat dissociative children will find practical tools that are backed up by recent advances in clinical research. Chapters are filled with examples of clinical dilemmas that can challenge even the most expert child trauma clinicians, and Silberg shows how to handle these dilemmas with creativity, attunement, and sensitivity to the adaptive nature of even the most complex dissociative symptoms. The new edition addresses the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children and provides tips for working with traumatized children in telehealth. A new chapter on organized abuse explains how children victimized by even the most sadistic crimes can respond well to therapy. Clinicians on the front lines of treatment will come away from the book with an arsenal of therapeutic techniques that they can put into practice right away, limiting the need for restrictive hospitalizations or out-of-home placements for their young clients.
This book offers a comprehensive overview of up-to-date research and intervention techniques for traumatized youth highlighting uncharted territories in the field of developmental trauma and related post-traumatic reactions. One of the few titles to provide a critical and comprehensive framework which focuses specifically on post-traumatic syndromes in children and adolescents Presents the implications of PTSD in other settings (such as school and family) that are not fully addressed in other works International range of contributors, such as David Foy, Julian Ford, Jennifer Freyd, Giovanni Liotti, and Brigitte Lueger-Schuster, bring perspectives from both Europe and North America An essential resource for both researchers and practitioners
"Anyone who works with troubled children and their families should not miss this book. Healing the Fractured Child weaves together comprehensive theory and neurobiology that substantiate practical treatment guidelines for children and their families. The complexity of symptoms, diagnoses, assessment, use of medication, and a variety of innovative treatment approaches for stabilization, trauma processing and integration are explored and come to life through the clear, practical and touching clinical illustrations peppered throughout the book. Fran Waters has drawn on her vast clinical experience and thorough knowledge of current perspectives on dissociation and child therapy to write an integrative, readable, and immensely useful masterpiece, a gift to the field of child psychology and psychotherapy and to the many therapists, children and parents who will benefit from her wisdom." --Pat Ogden PhD, Founder, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute; Author, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Interventions for Trauma and Attachment "A skillfully written, comprehensive and remarkable volume. Well-grounded in theory and full of rich, practical applications and detailed case examples. Water's outstanding work will expand clinicians' capacity to understand and assess dissociation as well as to effectively accompany children in their healing journeys. An essential resource for therapists of all orientations working with trauma and dissociation." Ana M. GÛmez, MC, LPC, Author of EMDR Therapy and Adjunct Approaches with Children: Complex Trauma, Attachment and Dissociation "Healing the Fractured Child" provides an invaluable source of information for all professionals and non-professionals interested in childhood dissociation. Based on her many years of experience in this field, Waters takes us from an explanation of dissociation and related theories to the behaviors which may be noticed by a parent, teacher or doctor, through the assessment quagmire and the challenges of parenting, to the important work of emotional regulation and the identification of self-states, bringing in consideration of where medication can or cannot assist and describing the hard work of trauma processing, to integration, possible relapse, and back again to even stronger internal integration. The intricately described clinical examples provide a plethora of ideas for working with these children and offer readers the encouragement and hope so important for working with children who experienced trauma. Sandra Wieland, Ph.D., R.Psych. Illuminates the most promising treatments available for dissociative children Written by one of the nation's leading practitioners in the field of childhood trauma, abuse, and dissociation, this comprehensive resource fills a void in the literature to provide in-depth knowledge of current interventions for treating dissociation in youth. It describes a detailed, careful assessment process and creative, evidence-supported techniques for helping children and their families to heal from chaotic, traumatizing experiences. With both a theoretical and practical focus, the book offers proven strategies for successfully treating children and adolescents with varying degrees of dissociation and co-morbid symptoms. It also integrates adjunct therapies in environments beyond those of traditional psychotherapy, such as school, and describes how their strategies can be used effectively to augment therapy and understand dissociative children. Based on a model integrating five prominent therapeutic modalities, and underscoring the importance of attachment style, the book focuses on the neurobiology of trauma, a high co-morbidity of symptoms, specialized clinical interventions, psychopharmacology, and family intervention techniques. Also addressed are adjunct therapies in art, and EMDR. In addition, the book provides a window into the effects of traumatic events such as medical illness that may be overlooked, and safe techniques with dissociative youth who are exhibiting dangerous behaviors. Rich clinical examples demonstrate the various phases of treatment and offer a window into the internal world of dissociative children. This resource provides mental health clinicians, and other health professionals with a wealth of tools to effectively treat this troubled client population. Key Features: Describes theoretical conceptualization and specialized integrative techniques to treat dissociative children effectively Integrates psychotherapy with EMDR, art therapy, neurobiology and psychopharmacology Distills current research on neurobiology of trauma and how to intervene with specially designed treatment strategies Provides in-depth knowledge of the latest creative interventions for treatment across degrees and ages of dissociation, and co-morbid symptoms Sensitizes the therapist to often overlooked traumatic events, e.g. medical illness, that can exacerbate symptoms
With contributions from prominent experts, this pragmatic book takes a close look at the nature of complex psychological trauma in children and adolescents and the clinical challenges it presents. Each chapter shows how a complex trauma perspective can provide an invaluable unifying framework for case conceptualization, assessment, and intervention amidst the chaos and turmoil of these young patients' lives. A range of evidence-based and promising therapies are reviewed and illustrated with vivid case vignettes. The volume is grounded in clinical innovations and cutting-edge research on child and adolescent brain development, attachment, and emotion regulation, and discusses diagnostic criteria, including those from DSM-IV and DSM-5. See also Drs. Ford and Courtois's edited volume Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders in Adults, Second Edition, and their authored volume, Treatment of Complex Trauma: A Sequenced, Relationship-Based Approach.
This book provides a comprehensive overview of research into dissociation in children and adolescents and challenges conventional ideas about complex behaviours. Offering a new perspective to those who are unfamiliar with dissociation in children, and challenging prevalent assumptions for those who are experienced in the field, the editors encourage the professional to ask questions about the child’s internal experiences beyond a diagnosis of the external symptoms. Chapters bring together a range of international experts working in the field, and interweave theories, practice, and challenging and complex case material, as well as identifying mistakes that therapists can avoid while working with children who dissociate. Filled with practical tools and examples, this book is a vital resource for professionals to enrich their practice with children who dissociate.
Rich with case material and artwork samples, this volume demonstrates a range of creative approaches for facilitating children's emotional reparation and recovery from trauma. Contributors include experienced practitioners of play, art, music, movement and drama therapies, bibliotherapy, and integrative therapies, who describe step-by-step strategies for working with individual children, families, and groups. The case-based format makes the book especially practical and user-friendly. Specific types of stressful experiences addressed include parental loss, child abuse, accidents, family violence, bullying, and mass trauma. Broader approaches to promoting resilience and preventing posttraumatic problems in children at risk are also presented.
There are many issues that are important to evaluating children and adolescents, and it is increasingly clear that reliance on just one type of assessment is not enough. In this volume, Kathleen Nader has compiled an articulate and comprehensive guide to the complex process of assessment in youth and child trauma.
Professionals working with traumatized children are often asked whether it would be better to ‘let sleeping dogs lie’, because the child may not be ready to discuss their experiences, and out of fear that they may become further distressed or disturbed. In Treating Chronically Traumatized Children, Arianne Struik presents the case for waking those ‘sleeping dogs’ in a safe and structured environment, in order to allow the healing process to begin and prevent trauma later in life. Struik has developed a method for those cases labelled most difficult to treat, involving deregulated, traumatized children who refuse to talk about their memories, or claim to have ‘forgotten’ them completely. It incorporates factors in the child’s environment and network to ensure that they are safe and secure before beginning the process, and stable throughout treatment. Downloadable worksheets enhance the book’s content and make each section straightforward to work through, supporting the child through the stabilization, processing and integration phases of treatment. Illustrated throughout by case studies and comprehensive explanation of the theory and the treatment method, Treating Chronically Traumatized Children is clear and accessible and is ideal for psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists and counsellors, as well as parents and anyone working with chronically traumatized children and adolescents.
