Working with Grieving and Traumatized Children and Adolescents (eBook)

WILLIAM STEELE, PsyD, MSW, is the founder of the National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children (TLC) established in 1990, where he has personally trained more than 5,000 TLC Certified Trauma and Loss School and Clinical Specialists. CAELAN KUBAN, PsyD, LMSW, is Director of TLC, a program of the Starr Global Learning Network. She provides training across the country to professionals working with traumatized children and families.

Foreword xi

Preface xv

Acknowledgments xix

Chapter One How Structured, Sensory Interventions Help Grieving and Traumatized Children 1

Chapter Two Children's Experiences With Grief and Trauma 21

Chapter Three Trauma-Informed Principles and Practices 45

Chapter Four Structured Drawing Activities 67

Chapter Five Curiosity and the Trauma Questioning Process 85

Chapter Six Meeting Children in Their World 103

Chapter Seven Incorporating SITCAP in Schools and Community-Based Organizations 123

Chapter Eight Interventions With Parents and Guardians 145

Chapter Nine Nurturing Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth 171

Appendices

A. What If? Questions 193

B. SITCAP Program Activity Examples 209

C. School Recovery Protocol 221

D. Resilience Resources for Teachers 227

About the Authors 229

References 231

Author Index 243

Subject Index 245

"This much-needed book effectively argues for the use of
structured activities as the basis for exploring trauma-specific
questions in clinical work with traumatized children and
adolescents. Numerous examples of children's artwork enhance
the book and illustrate the effectiveness of the treatment. The
authors' methods have been used successfully for many years
and represent a major contribution to the study of trauma that will
be welcomed by both students and seasoned practitioners"

--Nancy Boyd Webb, DSW, LICSW, RPT-S, Professor of
Social Work Emerita, Fordham University

Author: Play therapy with Children in Crisis, 3rd ed.

"In the sea of rhetoric about trauma-informed care, What
Matters Most delivers answers that will make a difference to
young people right now. This book equips professionals working at
all levels with young people impacted by trauma to do their work
differently, incorporating one fundamental principle that stands
above all else: this work is not about doing to children, but being
with children, and empowering them in their own healing journey.
From neuroscience to relational practice, this book is the most
compelling and practical story about trauma treatment told to
date."

--Kiaras Gharabaghi, Ph.D, Ryerson University, Toronto,
Canada

"The authors provide a clear theoretical framework AND
demonstrate practical sensory-based activities so kids can discover
and reconnect with their bodies' agency and vitality. Refreshingly,
this vehicle creates an emotionally safe journey for the child into
the mystery of the experiential, embedded in implicit memory. It's
chock full of invitations to explore self-impressions and worldview
in a way that children feel seen; not assessed."

--Peter A. Levine, Ph.D. originator and founder of the
Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute and author of Waking the
Tiger and In an Unspoken Voice & Maggie Kline, MS,
LMFT, School Psychologist, SE Faculty, co-author of Trauma
through a Child's Eyes and Trauma-Proofing Your Kids

"This book is a page-turner, a comment usually reserved for
action novels. Rich with recent neuroscience findings, the impact
of trauma on the brain, case studies, and specific interventions,
Working with Grieving and Traumatized Children and
Adolescents is a must-have resource for anyone who works with
and cares about young people of any age. As a foster care survivor
and now a college professor, I am grateful for Dr. Steele's
contribution."

--John Seita, Ed.D., School of Social Work, Michigan
State University

"Building on years of developing and researching structured
sensory interventions, the authors share poignant stories of
resilience, integrate findings from neuroscience and empirical
studies, and offer simple and effective interventions that build
safe and secure relationships for grieving and traumatized children
and teens."

--Anne L. Stewart, Ph.D., Professor of Graduate
Psychology, James Madison University, President, Virginia
Association for Play Therapy