Book description
For a parent, there are few things more frightening than the thought of
one's child or a close family member becoming the victim of trauma. How
do I help them cope? Can I help them cope? What if I'm not even able to
cope myself? These are some of the automatic responses that could flash
through a parent's mind at the prospect of having to deal with an
unexpected, painful or traumatic experience, or with the fear or threat
of such trauma becoming a reality. These experiences can be damaging and
life-changing on many levels, and in many societies they have indeed
become an everyday reality. The chapters in
How Children Experience Trauma And How Parents Can Help Them Cope
address a number of different types of trauma and they offer sound and
tested advice on each one. Among others, they deal with trauma related
to crime, to accidents, untimely death and devastating loss. They cover
peer group and relationship issues, including bullying and abuse, and
each one presents a number of illustrative case studies to help parents
relate to and understand what they and their children might be
experiencing internally. The authors explain some typical emotional and
physiological reactions that may arise during, immediately after and
some time after the trauma. They provide parents and caregivers with the
theoretical as well as some practical tools to guide their children (and
themselves) towards recovery and healing. All trauma, although
accompanied by loss - often terrifying and terrible loss - gives us an
opportunity to put life into perspective, encourages us to evaluate
relationships and possibly to shed that which is toxic or unhelpful and
to retain that which is healthy. By presenting the theory and examining
the therapeutic options available, Meg Fargher and Helen Dooley draw on
their extensive training and experience in this field to help parents
and children access the resilience that is part of every human being,
allowing them to heal and move on - different but potentially stronger.
