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Copyright ©
2004-2010 by David A. Crenshaw, Ph.D., ABPP. All rights reserved.
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Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy: Wounded Spirits and
Healing Paths
Edited by David Crenshaw, Ph.D., ABPP
Links to order book are at bottom of page.
I, for a long time, have dreamed of putting
together a book with collaborators who share the
same passion for working with at risk children
and teens. Thanks to a group of outstanding
contributors that dream has come true. Child and
Adolescent Psychotherapy: Wounded Spirits and
Healing Paths is a book about the dynamic,
relational healing process with children and
youth that traditionally would be regarded
either as “impossible cases” or “not receptive”
to treatment. But we subscribe to the view
expressed by Bessel van der Kolk that
"everything should be considered reversible
until proven otherwise." The collaborators in
this volume share the philosophy and commitment
that with children, who suffer extensive wounds
to their soul, teaching them social skills and
treating their psychiatric symptoms is a first
step but it is not enough. Kenneth Hardy, a
contributor to this volume, explains there is a
difference between treating and healing. Healing
takes longer-sometimes a lot longer because
there is a complicated underlying emotional
process that needs to be addressed and
attachments that need to be repaired. The
injuries to the soul of a child do not take
place in a vacuum—they take place in a
relational context, in a family, in an
interpersonal and cultural milieu. If the
internal wounds are not adequately addressed and
the social, family, and cultural contexts in
which the injuries developed are ignored, we
will at best put balm on the wounds but we will
not heal. All of the outstanding collaborators
to this volume not only understand this but
share these views with conviction and passion.
Among the collaborators are two people whose
groundbreaking work on working with violent and
traumatized youth have profoundly influenced and
inspired my clinical work and my writings: James
Garbarino, to whom this book is dedicated, and
Kenneth V. Hardy (I previously dedicated
Evocative Strategies in Child and Adolescent
Psychotherapy to Ken Hardy). Both Garbarino and
Hardy are passionate champions of at-risk
youth.
Another
collaborator in this volume is Andrew Fussner,
who in my judgment is one of the most
outstanding, dynamic, and talented of family
therapy trainers both nationally and
internationally. I was privileged to learn from
him over a period of 12 years; most of what I
know about family therapy I learned from him.
Over the 20 years, I’ve known him he has become
a dear friend. The other collaborators in this
volume are colleagues that I’ve been privileged
to know, work with and respect. Their
enthusiastic, brilliant, and creative work will
be evident in many places throughout this volume
and they are Susan Cristantiello, Linda Hill,
Jenny Lee, and Konstantinos Tsoubris. Another
shared conviction among the contributors is the
value of a strengths-based philosophy and one
chapter is devoted specifically to this approach
and its influence will be seen throughout the
volume. Chapter 5, on the strengths-based
approach is dedicated to Robert Brooks, Ph.D.,
who has been a charismatic and extraordinary
advocate for seeing what is right and good in
youth who often see only what is “bad” or
deficient in them. Unfortunately, there are
plenty of others who can only see the “bad” or
the “wrong” in these same youth so their views
get reinforced and validated frequently. Robert
Brooks teaches us to look for “islands of
competence” in youth, and this is what
effectively can turn the lives of troubled youth
around.
David A. Crenshaw, Ph.D.,
ABPP
Synopsis
This edited
book by David A. Crenshaw with chapter
collaborators that include such notables as
James Garbarino, Kenneth V. Hardy, and Andrew
Fussner addresses the multiple sources of
wounding of children and teens in contemporary
life. This book conveys a message of hope and
optimism, even in work with children who might
be viewed as “impossible cases” because the
chapter contributors share a passion for
utilizing and building on the strengths of
children and families. These authors go beyond
treating psychiatric symptoms to address in a
more comprehensive way the emotional suffering
of youth. The unifying treatment framework for
the book is relational therapy. The emotional
injuries of children don’t develop in a vacuum
but rather in a relational context and healing
must also be embedded in an empathic
relationship with the child and family.
Building, repairing and restoring connections
within the family and the larger community as
well as within the therapeutic relationship
opens the door to growth, healing, and
meaningful belonging. The openness and
genuineness of the therapist is a key factor in
the healing relationship and this transparency
is evident in a chapter on the therapist’s
healing and use of self. The stories of triumph
over adversity by the courageous children and
families in this book will inspire those who
daily strive to make a meaningful difference in
the lives of hurting youth to renew their
commitment to this worthy mission. This is not a
doom and gloom book. Rather this book honors the
courage and strength of youth who faced
unbelievable obstacles; it is a book celebrating
the stories of unsung heroes and heroines who
represent the vast majority of youth who start
life facing adversity but still manage to live
productive and meaningful adult lives.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Multiple Sources of Wounding and Paths to Healing
David A. Crenshaw
Chapter 2. Healing
Wounds to the Spirit Camouflaged by Rage
Kenneth V. Hardy and David A. Crenshaw
Chapter 3. Healing in a
Family Context
Andrew Fussner and David A. Crenshaw
Chapter 4. Seeking a Shelter for the Soul
James Garbarino and David A. Crenshaw
Chapter 5. "Diamonds in the Rough"—Strengths-Based
Healing
Susan Cristantiello, David A. Crenshaw, and Konstantinos
Tsoubris
Chapter 6. Hidden Dimensions: Unspeakable Sorrow and Buried Human Potential
David A. Crenshaw and James Garbarino
Chapter 7. When Grief is a Luxury Children Can't Afford
David A. Crenshaw and Linda Hill
Chapter 8. A Spectrum of Dynamic Forces that Silence Children
David A. Crenshaw and Jennifer Lee
Chapter 9. Therapist Healing and Use of Self
David A. Crenshaw
Chapter 10. Tales of Heartbreak and Joy
and Reflections
along the Healing Path David A. Crenshaw
Reviews
Dr. Crenshaw has written and edited a
truly unforgettable book. He has accomplished the challenging task of
touching our hearts and our minds with moving, poignant accounts of the
lives of traumatized children together with courageous self reflections
about the forces in his own life that have contributed to his role as a
therapist. Dr. Crenshaw is clearly a very gifted, empathic therapist
and writer who in describing strength-based interventions for working
with these youth, focuses on the remarkable
capacity of these youth to become more hopeful and resilient. This book
is an invaluable resource that will be read and re-read by those of us
seeking to enhance the lives of children who have faced great
adversity.
Robert Brooks,
Ph.D.
Faculty, Harvard
Medical School
Co-author, "Raising Resilient Children" and "The Power of Resilience"
This
wonderful and compelling book by Dr. Crenshaw and his colleagues serves
as a reminder for all clinicians that behind the anger and behavior
problems that many children manifest are “wounded spirits”- pain, loss,
and grief that have somehow been silenced. Although there may be many
paths to healing, a continuing theme throughout this edited volume is
the critical importance of children being able to share their feelings
and tell their story within the context of a safe, trusting therapeutic
relationship. Through rich clinical vignettes, stories filled with pain
and suffering but also reflecting the remarkable strength and resilience
of our “wounded” children, Dr. Crenshaw and his colleagues get to the
essence of healing- sharing the story and the pain with someone who
deeply cares. This is an inspiring book that all child clinicians,
particularly those who work with families who have experienced traumatic
life events, would greatly benefit from reading. I certainly did!
Anthony P.
Mannarino, Ph.D.
Professor and Vice President
Department of Psychiatry
Allegheny General Hospital
Drexel University College of Medicine
This gracious
collection is bound to invoke the best of inspirations for its
professional readers. Directed at child and adolescent psychotherapists
whose tacit priority it is to meet the soul of the youngster on terms
uniquely his' or her' own. David Crenshaw and his collaborators
remain reverential to the client's deepest wounds as each
chapter accesses sensitive spheres of care. Within a depth psychology
tradition, this volume is fated to exert a powerful effect on
the interactive process to which experientially focused therapists are
committed. Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy: Wounded Spirits and
Healing Paths is surely destined to remain a dear companion to
those who see their therapeutic work as more than a set of corrective
tools. Indeed David Crenshaw's beautifully assembled book honors the
animating essence of the healer's vision.
E. Mark Stern,
Ed.D., ABPP
Past President,
Society for Humanistic Psychology of the American Psychological
Association
Professor
Emeritus, Graduate Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Iona College, New
Rochelle, NY
“Dr. Crenshaw
and his colleagues invite the reader not only into the child therapy
room, but into the hearts and minds of the youth and the clinicians
responding to those hurts and losses. Youth challenged in their own
lives by the disrespect, disengagement, and hostility of others often
bring those same behaviors to the therapy room. The writers give a deep
look at these youth and their behaviors, and to the healing aspects of a
consistent and persistent therapeutic partnership. New and experienced
clinicians will gain insights into the skills and the self-care needed
to effectively engage and inspire these youth in a path toward
wholeness.”
John W. Seymour,
Ph.D., RPT-S, AAMFT supervisor, associate professor, Minnesota State
University, Mankato, MN
To
Order
"Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy: Wounded Spirits and
Healing Paths"
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Rowman & Littlefield
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at 20% discount.
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When checking out shopping cart, enter
this code below credit card information:
4W9CAPBK |
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or if you prefer
placing a phone order, call
1-800-462-6420
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from
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