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When your child has been through an upsetting or stressful event, it can feel overwhelming. Is your child traumatised? Are new behaviours normal, or signs of PTSD? What can you do to make your child feel safe again? Psychologist Melissa Goldberg Mintz knows what is needed to support a traumatised child—and she knows that loving parents play the most important role.
In this wise and authoritative guide, Dr. Goldberg Mintz shares specific, critical information and insights into what trauma looks like at different ages, why some kids exposed to the same event react very differently, how to help your child through trauma triggers, when to seek professional help, and more. She provides crucial tools for ensuring that your child doesn’t feel constrained by fear—and can face future challenges with hope and resilience.
This book is aimed at parents of preschoolers through teens, but will also be of interest to mental health professionals for recommendation to clients.
Foreword, Jon G. Allen
Introduction
I. Understanding Trauma
II. Knowing What to Expect
III. Responding to Behavioral Changes
10. Responding to Self-Harm and Impulsive Behaviors
IV. Parenting Plus
11. Seeking Professional Help
12. Looking Ahead
Resources
Index
"This book empowers you to recognize changes in your child after a traumatic experience, help them handle strong feelings, and be an advocate for their mental health. Dr. Goldberg Mintz gives you concrete suggestions for what to do and say. Learn how your unique bond with your child can promote healing, and if needed, how you can partner effectively with a therapist. A tremendous tool for parents."
- Mollie Gordon, MD, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine
"Speaking from the heart, Dr. Goldberg Mintz uses her years of training, experience, and clinical wisdom to teach you how to support your child’s healing process after a stressful or traumatic experience. Her concrete examples and recommendations provide skills you can use right away. This is a book that will soon have many dog-eared pages!"
- Jennifer B. Hughes, PhD, author of PSTD Recovery Workbook
"In this era of exposure to violence of all types, this book represents a critical step forward in equipping parents to recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma. It also guides parents to develop a step-by-step approach for helping their child recover. A welcome, important contribution for parents worldwide."
- Terence M. Keane, PhD, Professor and Assistant Dean for Research, Boston University School of Medicine
"An experienced, effective therapist explains the 'what' and 'why' of how children deal with potentially traumatic events—and how you can help your own child cope. What sets this book apart from others is how Dr. Goldberg Mintz writes in an extraordinarily accessible way without sacrificing the science."
- Ron Acierno, PhD, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
"If you were drawn in by the title of this book, you have come to the right place.…Reading this book, you will see that you are not alone, and you can benefit from Dr. Goldberg Mintz’s experience and abundant examples of parents’ struggles and successes."
- Jon G. Allen, PhD, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine (from the Foreword)
"My four-year-old stayed very calm during our recent car accident, but later he didn't want to drive with me and had terrible nightmares. I was heartbroken and had no idea how to help him until I dove into this book. I learned that trauma, when handled properly, can build resilience in kids. Once I knew what to do and look for, I could stop panicking and focus. I am so grateful to Dr. Goldberg Mintz!"
- Jenn C., Houston, Texas
