Conversation-Starters for Working with Children and Adolescents After Trauma

With over 80 activities tailored to different styles of communication, all requiring minimal preparation, this flexible resource provides an activity for every situation. From helping a child identify fun things around them to helping them to learn how to control unwanted thoughts, or to understand how feeling states can move from darkness to light, you will wish that you had known about these techniques sooner. Simply choose whether you would like to focus on helping a child with a coping or positive thinking activity, gather the everyday tools you need, and you are all set. Each of the activities can be used in both individual and group formats, and case studies throughout the book serve as a helpful guide on how the activities work in practice. This book is the ultimate toolkit for use with children and adolescents aged between 5 and 17. It is ideal for practitioners working with children who have experienced trauma, physical or sexual abuse, or severe neglect. Those working with children who are experiencing acute depression, anxiety and behavioural difficulties will also find it useful.

Dawn DAmico LCSW PhD is a psychotherapist who has 22 years of experience working with children affected by various types of trauma in different settings including private practice, hospitals, childrens homes and refugee camps. She has worked internationally in Asia and Africa and has served as a graduate faculty member at the University of Wisconsin. She lives in Wisconsin, USA.

“The additional stressors our teens and children have faced these last two years have made Dawns book essential to helping our patients. The work to consolidate these simple methods to begin helping our patients to heal is invaluable.”
Julia A. Ostendorf, MD, FAAP, 30 years in general pediatric practice