Children Recovering from Complex Trauma

Children Recovering from Complex Trauma: From Wound to Scar draws on the latest knowledge and research on complex trauma in children, as well as the authors’ expertise, in order to outline a trauma-sensitive approach to these children and their parents.The first part of the book describes the emotional and relational dynamics underlying these children’s behaviour. The second part of the book offers a glimpse behind the scenes of the authors' psychotherapy practice, elaborating the processes of change and growth that can enable developmental recovery ‘from wound to scar’ in children who have experienced complex trauma. As such, the book aims to ‘demystify’ what psychotherapy with a traumatised child may look like, as well as offer insights and tools which can support carers in their daily interactions with these children.This book will be of great use to the adoptive parents and foster carers of children who have experienced complex trauma, and the care professionals (e.g., teachers, foster care workers) who work with them.

"It is fair to say that psychotherapists and mental health professionals do not always show a capacity to translate their clinical knowledge into a language that can be understood by parents, carers and others involved with the care of children. But in this invaluable book, Nicole Vliegen and her colleagues manage to share the deep understanding they have developed, over many years, of children who have experienced early maltreatment and trauma, and give us an insight into how therapy can help to support them. The book is both realistic about the challenges these children and their families face, but also life-affirming. They describe the ways in which these children can be helped to evolve a self-narrative from ‘wounded and traumatised’ to ‘scarred but liveable’, and they do so in a language that will be accessible to all those adults who may accompany these children on their life-long journey." -- Nick Midgley, Professor of Psychological Therapies with Children and Young People, Anna Freud Centre and UCL, London, UK"Tragically, this is a timely and much needed volume. With so much discord and unrest around the world, many children are experiencing prolonged and complex trauma. The authors have extensive experience working with children and families whose lives are colored by trauma. They give readers a window on how trauma gets into the body and how their sophisticated, empathic approaches to treatment are impactful and lasting. Everyone working with vulnerable children will find this book invaluable." -- Linda Mayes, Arnold Gesell Professor Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry, Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, USA, 'It is fair to say that psychotherapists and mental health professionals do not always show a capacity to translate their clinical knowledge into a language that can be understood by parents, carers and others involved with the care of children. But in this invaluable book, Nicole Vliegen and her colleagues manage to share the deep understanding they have developed, over many years, of children who have experienced early maltreatment and trauma, and give us an insight into how therapy can help to support them. The book is both realistic about the challenges these children and their families face, but also life-affirming. They describe the ways in which these children can be helped to evolve a self-narrative from "wounded and traumatised" to "scarred but liveable", and they do so in a language that will be accessible to all those adults who may accompany these children on their life-long journey.' Nick Midgley, Professor of Psychological Therapies with Children and Young People, Anna Freud Centre and UCL, London, UK'Tragically, this is a timely and much needed volume. With so much discord and unrest around the world, many children are experiencing prolonged and complex trauma. The authors have extensive experience working with children and families whose lives are coloured by trauma. They give readers a window on how trauma gets into the body and how their sophisticated, empathic approaches to treatment are impactful and lasting. Everyone working with vulnerable children will find this book invaluable.' Linda Mayes, Arnold Gesell Professor Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry, Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, USA

Nicole Vliegen is Full Professor in Clinical Psychology at KU Leuven, Belgium, where she heads the postgraduate training programmes in Psychodynamic Child Psychotherapy and Infant Mental Health. She is a licensed psychodynamic child psychotherapist, and heads the team of psychodynamic child psychotherapists at PraxisP, the clinical centre of KU Leuven.Eileen Tang is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Clinical Psychology at KU Leuven, Belgium, and Assistant Professor in Psychology at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. She is a licensed psychodynamic child psychotherapist and is part of the team of psychodynamic child psychotherapists at PraxisP, the clinical centre of KU Leuven.Patrick Meurs is Director of the Sigmund Freud Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, and Full Professor in Educational Sciences at the University of Kassel, Germany, where he is a staff member of the postgraduate training programmes in Psychodynamic Child Psychotherapy and Psychoanalytically informed Counselling for teachers. He is also Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology at KU Leuven, Belgium, where he is a staff member of the postgraduate training programme in Psychodynamic Child Psychotherapy.