Rebuilding Attachments with Traumatized Children: Healing from Losses, Violence, Abuse, and Neglect

Learn to build the trust you need to help children in crisis! Rebuilding Attachments with Traumatized Children: Healing from Losses, Violence, Abuse, and Neglect is a therapeutic guide to helping troubled children move beyond the traumatic experiences that haunt them. Author Dr. Richard Kagan, Director of Psychological Services for Parsons Child and Family Center in Albany, New York, presents comprehensive information on how to understand—and surmount—the impact of loss, neglect, separation, and violence on children’s development, how to discover and foster strengths in children and their families, and how to rebuild connections and hope for children who are at risk of harm to themselves and others. This unique book is designed to be used in tandem with Real Life Heroes: A Life Storybook for Children (Haworth), an innovative workbook that helps children develop the self-esteem they need to overcome the worries and fears of their past through a creative arts approach that fosters positive values and a sense of pride. Rebuilding Attachments with Traumatized Children helps children move from negative or suppressed memories to a more positive perspective, not by denying hardships, but by drawing strength from the supportive people in their lives. Practitioners can use the book as a framework and detailed guide to assessment, engagement, development of service plans, and implementation of attachment and trauma therapy. The book is a comprehensive model for working to build the trust necessary before other trauma therapy approaches can be successfully initiated. Topics examined in Rebuilding Attachments with Traumatized Children include: attachment theory and research types of attachment problems PTSD behaviors permanency work with children in placement ADHD, bipolar, and RAD cognitive behavioral therapies storytelling therapies the myth of perfection neuropsychological patterns and much more! Rebuilding Attachments with Traumatized Children is a rich resource for practitioners, academics, parents, adoptive parents, foster parents, grandparents, and anyone working to show troubled children how to learn from the past, resolve problems in the present, and build a better future.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments PART I: LIFELINES Chapter 1. Attachment Trauma Damage to Neurodevelopment Attachment Theory and Research Attachment and Behavior Patterns Attachment and Behavior Problems Facilitating Attachment Promoting Resilience Conclusion Chapter 2. Angel or Demon? Two Boys The Impact of Neglect and Violence Trauma and Neurological Functioning: Theory and Research Conclusion Chapter 3. The Curse of Neglect Introduction How Neglect Disrupts Attachment Neglect and the Social Service System Statistics and Research on Abuse and Neglect Conclusion Part II: Rebuilding Attachments Chapter 4. Breaking the Curse Introduction Myths That Perpetuate Abuse and Neglect Obstacles to Rebuilding Attachments Methods of Rebuilding Attachments Conclusion Chapter 5. Restoring Hope and Safety Introduction Investigating Child Abuse and Neglect Developing Service Plans for Traumatized Children in Placement Chapter 6. Reparenting the Hurt Child Introduction Tools for Parenting Traumatized Children Steps and Tools for Rebuilding Attachment Conclusion Chapter 7. Permanency Introduction Activities That Foster Attachment Rights and Responsibilities Within Families Skill-Building Activities Signs of Attachment Conclusion Part III: The Making of a Hero Chapter 8. Telling the Story Introduction Trauma Therapy Life Stories: From Shame to Strength Detoxifying Traumas Chapter 9. Real Life Heroes Life-Story Work The Real Life Heroes Workbook Redefining Heroes for Children Finding Heroes Supporting Heroes Protecting Heroes The Hero’s Challenge Chapter 10. The Magic of Parents Understanding and Treating Trauma and Attachment Disorders Rising Above Trauma The Parent’s Life Story Chapter 11. A Hero’s Story: Using the Real Life Heroes Workbook Introduction Beginning the Journey Contents of Workbook Objectives of Workbook Adapting the Workbook for Adolescents and Young Children Facilitating Storytelling Self-Soothing Skills Attachment and Trauma Therapy Adoption Completion of the Workbook Chapter 12. Impasse and Beyond Introduction Getting Past the Impossible Calling a Crisis Therapeutic Tools for Breaking Impasse Obstacles to Breaking Impasse Beyond Impasse Chapter 13. Into the Future The Quest The Therapist’s Role Crossing the Threshold Reconnecting Working with Time Advocacy for Parents The Making of a Hero Appendix A: Important People Appendix B: Attachment Ecogram Appendix C: Outline of Assessments and Interventions Appendix D: Real Life Heroes; A Progressive, Developmental Curriculum Overview Introduction of the Real Life Heroes Model Caring Adult Resource Development Chapter by Chapter, Developing Strengths Completion of Life Story Work Appendix E: Chapter by Chapter, Stronger and Stronger Appendix F: Utilizing Impasse Appendix G: Game Therapy Illustration Notes References Index