Healing Self-Injury

Janis Whitlock, Ph.D., is a Research Scientist in the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research at Cornell University, and is the founder and director of the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery. Dedicated to linking cutting edge science with on-the-ground efforts to support and enhance the lives of youth and their families, her research focuses on adolescent and young adult social and emotional health and wellbeing, sexual violence prevention, and the role of social media in health and development. She is best known for her work on non-suicidal self-injury. In addition to conducting research in these areas, she is dedicated to making research accessible and useful to those best positioned to make a difference in the lives of youth, such as parents and youth-serving professionals. Elizabeth E. Lloyd-Richardson, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She is a licensed Clinical Psychologist with specialized training in adolescent health risk behaviors. She began conducting research on and interviewing teens who self-injure nearly two decades ago, and has extensive experience in developing and running research programs that aim to promote healthful behaviors in adolescents and young adults. She has authored over 60 papers and book chapters in the areas of non-suicidal self-injury, weight management, and substance use and abuse.

Preface: Why you and why us?

Introduction.

Part 1: NSSI Background and Basics

Chapter 1. The Basics of Self-Injury
Chapter 2. The family experience of self-injury
Chapter 3. The Context of Self-Injury: Where did it come from?
Chapter 4. Where it starts and why it works

Part 2: Recovery, treatment, and growth

Chapter 5. Recovering from self-injury
Chapter 6. An Introduction to Therapy: Talking with your child about therapy and finding the right therapist
Chapter 7. Therapy for self-injury
Chapter 8. Beyond surviving: From Disorder to Growth & Discovery

Part 3: Parents as partners: Skills and tools for helping yourself and your child

Chapter 9. I have feelings too! Understanding mindfulness and the role of our own automatic thoughts and reactions
Chapter 10. Becoming a Mindful Parent: Strategies and skills for parenting a child that self-injures

Part 4: Practical Matters

Chapter 11. Positive communications during challenging times: Dealing with authority issues, power struggles, and staying calm when your child is not
Chapter 12. Establishing Guidelines and Expectations for Managing Self-Injury Behaviors
Chapter 13. Collaborations critical for recovery