About the Book
A burgeoning evidence base supports that arts, play and other creative therapies have potential to help children in foster care, kinship care or adoptive families to recover from complex trauma.
Written by contributors working at the cutting edge of delivering effective therapeutic interventions, this innovative book describes models for working with children in foster care, kinship care or adoption. Covering how to assess needs and contextual considerations for working with children and families, this book presents a range of creative therapeutic approaches spanning art psychotherapy, music therapy and dance therapy. It emphasizes the necessity of working with caregivers and other significant adults, as well as the child, to facilitate recovery. The theoretical foundations of attachment, developmental psychology and neurobiology are embedded in each chapter showing how they underpin each of the recommended creative therapies.
This book will be suitable for professionals directly employing creative approaches in their practice, such as arts therapists and play therapists, as well as those working with children who are interested in creative alternate approaches, such as psychologists, counsellors, therapists and social workers.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements. About the Editors. Contributors List. Introduction. Anthea Hendry, Art Psychotherapist and Joy Hasler, Catchpoint CIC. PART 1. MAPPING OUT THE TERRITORY. 1. Complex Trauma in Children: An Overview of Theoretical Developments. Franca Brenninkmeyer, Head of Child and Family Service, PAC-UK. 2. Creative Therapies for Complex Trauma: Theory into Practice. Anthea Hendry, Art Psychotherapist. 3. Putting Theory into Practice: Implications for Caregivers. Janet Smith, Adoption Support Practice Manager at Families for Children. PART 2: CLINICAL APPLICATION OF CREATIVE THERAPIES FOR COMPLEX TRAUMA. 4. How does Trauma Affect the whole family?: Assessment of the Effect of Trauma on Attachment relationships. Joy Hasler, Catchpoint CIC. 5. Beyond Words: Family Futures Neurophysiological Approach to Assessment and treatment of Traumatised Children. Jay Vaughan, Therapy Services Manager, Family Futures CIC and Alan Burnell, Manager, Family Futures CIC. 6. Dyadic Parent-Child Art Psychotherapy and Complex Trauma. Anthea Hendry, Art Psychotherapist and Elizabeth Taylor Buck, Research Fellow, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield. 7. Healing Rhythms: Music Therapy for Attachment and Trauma. Joy Hasler, Catchpoint CIC. 8. Making a Drama: Interview with a Dramatherapist who works with adoptive families. Molly Holland, Catchpoint CIC and Joy Hasler, Catchpoint CIC. 9. When Play Therapy is not Enough: Using EMDR in combination with Play Therapy for children with Complex Trauma. Renee Potegieter Marks, Consultant Therapist, Integrate Families. 10. 'Repetitive, rhythmic, relevant, relational, respectful and rewarding': Dance Movement Therapy in Attachment Work. Hannah Guy, Dance and Movement Therapist, Catchpoint CIC and Sue Topalian, Dance and Movement Therapist, Catchpoint CIC. PART 3: COMPLEX TRAUMA AND CREATIVE PRACTICE IN EDUCATION. 11. Adapting to Working in Schools with the Family Futures' Neurophysiological Approach. Marion Allen, Education Consultant, Family Futures CIC. 12. Rules, Relationships and Ripples: Therapy in a Specialist Residential School. Sarah Ayache, Head of Therapies and Art Psychotherapist, The William Henry Smiths School and Martin Gibson, Vice Principal, The William Henry Smiths School.
About the Author :
Anthea Hendry is an art psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer in private practice. Prior to this she has worked in a Child and Adolescent Mental Health service, managed an after adoption service and worked as a social worker in a fostering and adoption team. Joy Hasler is Founder and Director of Catchpoint Consultancy, a registered Adoption Support Agency established in 2001. She is also a qualified music therapist.
Review :
In their excellent book, Anthea Hendry and Joy Hasler bring together a range of talented practitioners who explain and explore the dysregulating effects that developmental trauma can have on mind, body and brain, and what might be done to support developmentally traumatised children and their carers. Supported by vivid case examples, we see how the creative arts are themselves creatively used to great therapeutic effect to regulate bodies in distress, feelings in turmoil, and minds that are frightened and sad.
This book is a welcome addition to all helping professionals and educators who work with children and families challenged by complex trauma. These experienced practitioners provide practical wisdom on not only creative approaches, but also the key elements involved in effective healing relationships and positive attachment. This contribution to trauma literature clearly emphasizes how and why collaborative, creative interventions that include family, school staff and therapists are essential to support reparation and recovery.
Attachment theories are now well established as an evidence-based framework that supports client-centred approaches, and that have alerted us to the devastating impact of trauma on child development. It is therefore a real pleasure to recommend this informative and clearly laid-out book to any practitioner interested in helping children and families through the use of creative therapies. Although the focus is on complex trauma and helping children and families in foster care, kinship care and adoption, much of the book content will be relevant to gaining an understanding of how to approach other complex situations. The theoretical chapters in part 1 clearly explained some of the main concepts and enfolded really well as a series. In part 2, contributors' honesty and dedication to their clients shone through all the different chapters, which were very informative about real-life practice. The focus on education in part 3 was also welcome, as the incidence of serious trauma in any average classroom has risen dramatically. This is a well edited book that will be relevant to creative therapists, whether in training, newly qualified or experienced and is above all a good read.
This is an important book. For people who already know as a matter of lived experience that childhood trauma can destroy lives this book will inspire hope and confidence in the capacity of the human spirit to recover. And for those who do not understand the impact of childhood adversity this book will enlighten and instruct through the depth of knowledge shared and the accessibility of the many stories illuminating the impact of trauma and recovery in everyday life. I hope that it will be read by many, and I am sure that those who do read it will treasure it.
This clear, concise cutting-edge collection of chapters by a wide range of skilled contributors demonstrates how insights from contemporary evidence-based research may be used to enable healing for traumatised children who are not able to live with their birth parents. Its relevance is far-reaching and makes it a 'must have' book for all who work with patients who struggle to overcome the effects of early relational trauma.
This is a brilliant book bringing together innovative creative therapies for adopted and fostered children and their families by specialists who have many years of experience of working with distressed or troubled children. If you are an adopter or foster carer you must use therapists who have both read this book and apply the principles.
Creative Therapies for Complex Trauma is a very useful addition to the literature. It draws on the practice experience of an impressive range of therapists, and makes very effective use of case studies to exemplify and explore theoretical issues. Of use to both readers who are new to this are of work and to more experienced practitioners, it is certainly going to be on the reading list for my courses.
This is one of the most useful and hopeful books I have read on the subject. It would be an informative read for anyone connected with an adopted family who is looking for an understanding of the types of therapy available, as well as for new and experienced therapists working with adopted children and their families. In fact, it is a useful book for any professional working with children.
