Trauma-Attachment Tangle offers informative and inspiring clinical stories of children who have complex trauma and attachment issues from experiences such as adoption, hospitalization, or death of a parent. Some of these children display puzzling or extreme symptoms like prolonged tantrums, self-hatred, attacking their parents or being fearful of common things like lights, solid foods or clothing. Dr. Lovett presents strategies for unraveling the traumatic origins of children’s symptoms and gives a variety of tools for treating complex trauma and for promoting attunement and attachment.
Trauma-Attachment Tangle offers informative and inspiring clinical stories of children who have complex trauma and attachment issues from experiences such as adoption, hospitalization, or death of a parent. Some of these children display puzzling or extreme symptoms like prolonged tantrums, self-hatred, attacking their parents or being fearful of common things like lights, solid foods or clothing. Dr. Lovett presents strategies for unraveling the traumatic origins of children’s symptoms and gives a variety of tools for treating complex trauma and for promoting attunement and attachment.
Childhood can be an exciting time, full of joyous exploration, new skills, friends, and imaginative play. It can also be very frightening, especially when children have experiences that threaten their feelings of safety and well-being. Even common traumatic childhood events can deeply affect children's normal healthy development, their self-esteem, and their families. Many behavioral problems stemming from common traumatic events could require years of psychotherapy or medication. That is, they did -- until the advent of EMDR. Developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR had already helped thousands of adult clients when Joan Lovett experienced its healing power firsthand. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a comprehensive therapeutic approach that helps patients release disturbing thoughts and emotions that originate in traumatic experiences. Experiences can be traumatic in the commonly accepted sense -- abuse, disasters, violence -- but children may also perceive and respond to more ordinary events as very threatening. A playground accident, the loss of a loved one, school problems, or choking on a piece of popcorn can be a part of growing up. They can also be critical incidents that cause a child to view him- or herself as helpless or powerless, to become fearful, and to develop debilitating behavioral problems. In Small Wonders: Healing Childhood Trauma with EMDR, Joan Lovett, M.D., shares engaging clinical stories -- mysteries involving children who present her with puzzling and disturbing behaviors. She imaginatively focuses her knowledge of pediatrics, play therapy, and EMDR to alleviate the real-life ordeals of real-life children. Featuring a foreword by Francine Shapiro, Small Wonders is the most comprehensive and insightful book to explore the potential of EMDR for child therapy. This enlightening book is intended for parents who are concerned with having their children feel confident, for adults who want insights into the way the events of their childhood shaped their self-image, and for professionals who want to know more about EMDR and how it can be adapted to meet the special needs of traumatized children.
Working with the circuitry of the brain to restore emotional health and well-being. Neurofeedback, a type of "brain training" that allows us to see and change the patterns of our brain, has existed for over 40 years with applications as wide-ranging as the treatment of epilepsy, migraines, and chronic pain to performance enhancement in sports. Today, leading brain researchers and clinicians, interested in what the brain can tell us about mental health and well being, are also taking notice. Indeed, the brain's circuitry—its very frequencies and rhythmic oscillations—reveals much about its role in our emotional stability and resilience. Neurofeedback allows clinicians to guide their, clients as they learn to transform brain-wave patterns, providing a new window into how we view and treat mental illness. In this cutting-edge book, experienced clinician Sebern Fisher keenly demonstrates neurofeedback’s profound ability to help treat one of the most intractable mental health concerns of our time: severe childhood abuse, neglect, or abandonment, otherwise known as developmental trauma. When an attachment rupture occurs between a child and her or his primary caregiver, a tangle of complicated symptoms can set in: severe emotional dysregulation, chronic dissociation, self-destructive behaviors, social isolation, rage, and fear. Until now, few reliable therapies existed to combat developmental trauma. But as the author so eloquently presents in this book, by focusing on a client's brain-wave patterns and "training" them to operate at different frequencies, the rhythms of the brain, body, and mind are normalized, attention stabilizes, fear subsides, and, with persistent, dedicated training, regulation sets in. A mix of fundamental theory and nuts-and-bolts practice, the book delivers a carefully articulated and accessible look at the mind and brain in developmental trauma, what a “trauma identity” looks like, and how neurofeedback can be used to retrain the brain, thereby fostering a healthier, more stable state of mind. Essential clinical skills are also fully covered, including how to introduce the idea of neurofeedback to clients, how to combine it with traditional psychotherapy, and how to perform assessments. In his foreword to the book, internationally recognized trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk, MD, praises Fisher as “an immensely experienced neurofeedback practitioner [and] the right person to teach us how to integrate it into clinical practice.” Filled with illuminating client stories, powerful clinical insights, and plenty of clinical "how to," she accomplishes just that, offering readers a compelling look at exactly how this innovative model can be used to engage the brain to find peace and to heal.
"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
"This volume is a welcome and excellent resource for all clinicians working with severely traumatized children." Francine Shapiro, PhD Founder, EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Programs "Over the past 15 years, Ms. Gomez has developed highly original and brilliant interventions for working with these very difficult to treat children. This book will be an enormous great gift to our field." Dr. Susan Coates Clinical Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry College of Physicians and Surgeons Columbia University This is the first book to provide a wide range of leading-edge, step-by-step strategies for clinicians using EMDR therapy and adjunct approaches with children with severe dysregulation of the affective system. Written by an author internationally known for her innovative work with children, the book offers developmentally appropriate and advanced tools for using EMDR therapy in treating children with complex trauma, attachment wounds, dissociative tendencies, and compromised social engagement. The book also presents the theoretical framework for case conceptualization in EMDR therapy and in the use of the Adaptive Information Processing model with children. Principles and concepts derived from the Polyvagal Theory, affective neuroscience, attachment theory, interpersonal neurobiology, developmental neuroscience and the neurosequential model of therapeutics, which can greatly support and expand our understanding of the AIP model and complex trauma, are presented. The text also offers an original and pioneering EMDR therapy-based model to working with parents with abdicated caregiving systems. The model is directed at assisting parents in developing the ability for mentalization, insightfulness, and reflective capacities linked to infantís development of attachment security. A unique and innovative feature of this book is the masterful integration of strategies from other therapeutic approaches, such as Play therapy, Sandtray therapy, Sensorimotor psychotherapy, Theraplay and Internal Family Systems (IFS), into a comprehensive EMDR treatment maintaining appropriate adherence to the AIP model and EMDR therapy methodology. Key Features: Provides creative, step-by-step, ìhow-toî information about the use of EMDR therapy with children with complex trauma from an internationally known and innovative leader in the field Explores thoroughly the eight phases of EMDR therapy in helping children with attachment wounds, dissociative tendencies and high dysregulation Incorporates adjunct approaches into a comprehensive EMDR therapy while maintaining fidelity to the AIP model and EMDR therapy methodology Contains an original EMDR therapy-based model for helping parents with abdicated caregiving systems to develop metalizing and reflective capacities
Integrating the latest in attachment theory and research into the use of EMDR. Much has been written about trauma and neglect and the damage they do to the developing brain. But little has been written or researched about the potential to heal these attachment wounds and address the damage sustained from neglect or poor parenting in early childhood. This book presents a therapy that focuses on precisely these areas. Laurel Parnell, leader and innovator in the field of eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), offers us a way to embrace two often separate worlds of knowing: the science of early attachment relationships and the practice of healing within an EMDR framework. This beautifully written and clinically practical book combines attachment theory, one of the most dynamic theoretical areas in psychotherapy today, with EMDR to teach therapists a new way of healing clients with relational trauma and attachment deficits. Readers will find science-based ideas about how our early relationships shape the way the mind and brain develop from our young years into our adult lives. Our connections with caregivers induce neural circuit firings that persist throughout our lives, shaping how we think, feel, remember, and behave. When we are lucky enough to have secure attachment experiences in which we feel seen, safe, soothed, and secure—the “four S’s of attachment” that serve as the foundation for a healthy mind—these relational experiences stimulate the neuronal activation and growth of the integrative fibers of the brain. EMDR is a powerful tool for catalyzing integration in an individual across several domains, including memory, narrative, state, and vertical and bilateral integration. In Laurel Parnell’s attachment-based modifications of the EMDR approach, the structural foundations of this integrative framework are adapted to further catalyze integration for individuals who have experienced non-secure attachment and developmental trauma. The book is divided into four parts. Part I lays the groundwork and outlines the five basic principles that guide and define the work. Part II provides information about attachment-repair resources available to clinicians. This section can be used by therapists who are not trained in EMDR. Part III teaches therapists how to use EMDR specifically with an attachment-repair orientation, including client preparation, target development, modifications of the standard EMDR protocol, desensitization, and using interweaves. Case material is used throughout. Part IV includes the presentation of three cases from different EMDR therapists who used attachment-focused EMDR with their clients. These cases illustrate what was discussed in the previous chapters and allow the reader to observe the theoretical concepts put into clinical practice—giving the history and background of the clients, actual EMDR sessions, attachment-repair interventions within these sessions and the rationale for them, and information about the effects of the interventions and the course of treatment.
Born out of the excitement of a convergence of ideas and passions, this book provides a synthesis of the work of researchers, clinicians, and theoreticians who are leaders in the field of trauma, attachment, and psychotherapy. As we move into the third millennium, the field of mental health is in an exciting position to bring together diverse ideas from a range of disciplines that illuminate our understanding of human experience: neurobiology, developmental psychology, traumatology, and systems theory. The contributors emphasize the ways in which the social environment, including relationships of childhood, adulthood, and the treatment milieu change aspects of the structure of the brain and ultimately alter the mind.
This is definitely a book whose time has come. One of the brilliant aspects of the EMDR therapy approach is that it makes it clinically possible to cut through social issues, and yet maintain its cultural consonance. From multiple contributions around the world, each chapter brings significant insights into how EMDR therapy can be culturally attuned and yet efficacious in preserving the individuality of each client. Highly recommended for those therapists who work in multi-cultural settings. -Esly Regina Carvalho, Ph.D., Trainer of Trainers, EMDR Institute/EMDR Iberoam rica and President TraumaClinic do Brasil/TraumaClinic Edições, Brasilia, Brazil. Underscoring the importance of cultural competence, this groundbreaking book focuses on using EMDR therapy with specific populations, particularly those groups typically stigmatized, oppressed, or otherwise marginalized in society. Drawing on social psychology research and theory as well as social justice and social work principles, it delivers general protocols for EMDR intervention for recovery from the internalized effects of cultural mistreatment. Employing best-practice methods for cultural competence as EMDR therapy is introduced to new cultures worldwide, the editor and esteemed EMDR clinician-authors relay their experiences, insights, guidance, and lessons learned through trial and error while adapting EMDR interventions for cross-cultural competency and therapeutic effectiveness The text defines cultural competence and validates the need for a multi-culturally aware approach to psychotherapy that embraces authentic socialidentities and attends to the impact of socially based trauma. Chapters address using EMDR therapy to heal the trans-generational impact of Anti-Semitism,working with the LGBT population, treating an immigrant woman suffering from social anxiety, healing individuals with intellectual disabilities, thetraumatizing effects of racial prejudice, harmful cultural messages about physical appearance, EMDR therapy attuned to specific cultural populations andsocially based identities, and many other scenarios. The text is replete with step-by-step treatment guidelines to help clients recover from traumatic lifeevents, dos and don‚Äôts, and common adaptive and maladaptive cultural beliefs. Key Features: Defines cultural competence and validates the need for a multi-culturally aware approach to psychotherapy Offers innovative protocols and strategies for treating socially based trauma within the EMDR model Presents best practice methods for cultural competence Includes step-by-step treatment guidelines and dos and don'ts Written by highly esteemed EMDR clinician-authors
Sensorimotor-Focused EMDR combines two hugely influential and effective therapies, EMDR therapy and sensorimotor psychotherapy, to provide a new approach. In doing so, the book supports the widely held view of psychotherapists that in trauma the primary store of neurological information is somatic rather than cognitive. Many therapists trained in EMDR find that additional resources are needed for patients who present with symptoms of complex trauma and dissociation. This is because EMDR is primarily a top-down approach based on CBT, with the addition of bilateral stimulation (BLS) in visual, tactile and auditory modalities. By contrast, Sensorimotor-Focused EMDR takes a body-based and bottom-up approach that seeks to resolve trauma by reprocessing information at multiple levels – in the gut-brain, the heart-brain and the head-brain, as well as in the endocrine, immune and nervous systems. Fully revised since The Art of BART (2015), the book looks at the latest advances in neuroscience, including research into the effectiveness of psychotherapy and the mysteries of consciousness and the development of mind. It also looks at the role of newly discovered organs, the mesentery and the interstitium, and provides clear anatomical evidence for the communication of biophotons in energy channels known as the primo vascular system. SF-EMDR is the only therapy that fully integrates Western theories of affective neuroscience with Eastern observations on activation of chakras, pranas and energies, and in doing so it offers strong potential for enhanced outcomes and optimized performance for patients.