Treating the Traumatized Child: A Step-by-Step Family Systems Approach

"This book builds upon my early work and the work and others by offering a comprehensive guide to practitioners interested in facing and helping to heal trauma and manage the drama systemically with a special focus on children and adolescents. The FST Model is a contribution to the fields of trauma, family sciences, and human development practice." --Charles R. Figley, PhD; Kurzweg Chair in Disaster Mental Health at Tulane University in New Orleans This is the first book that addresses trauma treatment for child and adolescents using a Family Systems Trauma (FST) model which goes beyond individual therapy to include the child and their entire family. Co-written by a renowned family therapist who created the Parenting with Love and Limits® model, it delivers a research-based , step-by-step approach that incorporates the child’s immediate family along with their extended family to treat the traumatized child or adolescent. Using a "stress chart," the child or adolescent's trauma symptoms are quickly identified. This strategy guides therapists in accurately diagnosing root causes of the child's trauma and culminates in the creation of co-created "wound playbooks" to heal trauma in both the child as well as other family members. Additional helpful features include extensive case examples, a menu of trauma techniques, wound playbook examples, evaluation forms, client handouts, and other practical tools to provide the therapist with a complete guide to implementing this approach. Child and family therapists, social workers, mental health counselors, and psychologists working in a variety of settings will find this book a valuable resource. Key Features: Provides a step-by-step, practice focused, time-limited model Uses a family systems approach for addressing child and adolescent trauma--the only book of its kind Includes useful tools such as checklists, client handouts, and evaluation forms

Table of Contents:
Preface Chapter 1. Why a Family Systems Trauma (FST) Model? Chapter 2. Who Are Our Traumatized Children? Family Systems Theory within the FST Model Chapter 3. The Family Systems Trauma (FST) Model Part II: Specific Techniques and Strategies Chapter 4: The FST Motivational Phone Call Chapter 5: Phase I - Identify Symptoms (Stressors) & Set the Goals for Therapy Chapter 6. Pre-Session Preparation for Phase II Chapter 7. Phase II - Wound Work Introduction Chapter 8. Pre-Session Preparation for Phase III Chapter 9. Phase III - Co-Create Playbooks Chapter 10. Pre-Session Preparation for Phase IV Chapter 11. Phase IV - Troubleshooting and Dress Rehearsals Chapter 12. Pre-Session Preparation for Phase V Chapter 13. Phase V - Evaluate Progress and Relapse Prevention INDEX

About the Author :
Scott P. Sells, PhD, MSW, LCSW, LMFT, is former tenured Professor of Social Work, Savannah State University, Savannah, GA and Associate Professor at UNLV in Las Vegas, NV. Ellen Souder, MA, LPCC-S, is Vice President of Parenting with Love and Limits (PLL) and has overseen the clinical implementation of PLL and the FST Model in over 50 agencies or organizations throughout the United States and Europe.

Review :
"This book builds upon my early work and the work and others by offering a comprehensive guide to practitioners interested in facing and helping to heal trauma and manage the drama systemically with a special focus on children and adolescents. The FST Model is a contribution to the fields of trauma, family sciences, and human development practice." "In Treating the Traumatized Child: A Step-by-Step Family Systems Approach, Dr. Scott Sells and Ellen Souder detail an evidence-based treatment model that enables children and their families to resolve even the most painful of traumas. With over 60% of American children directly experiencing or personally witnessing traumatic events before age 18, most children who present with mental health issues have significant trauma histories that often go undetected. However, once identified, trauma tends to be highly treatable with a good prognosis, especially if families are supportive. Across the globe and populations, researchers have consistently found that children recover better when their families are part of treatment, and virtually all parents of traumatized children also experience secondary if not direct trauma themselves. As the professional community becomes increasingly attuned to trauma, Dr. Sells and Souder’s evidence-based treatment manual for frontline therapists is an invaluable resource for anyone working with children, adolescents, and families in any contemporary context. To date, I know of no other comprehensive approach that goes beyond treating trauma symptoms to ensuring a healthy and vibrant future for traumatized children and their families." "Family therapy has lagged behind the rest of mental health in recognizing the impact of trauma on family patterns, so this book is very welcome and useful." "Trauma forms the core for much of our work with children. Our field so dearly needs this well written book. Treating the Traumatized Child offers a well rounded road map for healing the trauma wounds that we so often confront. As a child psychiatrist with over 35 years of practice, I can only say I wish I had a guide like this when I was starting out. Highly recommended!" "This is the book we have been waiting for. Using easy to understand metaphors as a way of capturing complex processes, this book provides a step-by-step roadmap to preparing, engaging, assessing and intervening in a wide range of problems. Well written and easy to understand, this book is striking in simplicity, while impressive in reach. We highly recommend this book as a valuable resource for family therapy practitioners, educators and supervisors."