Psychological Trauma and the Developing Brain

by Stien, Phyllis T.; Kendall, Joshua C.

• ISBN13: 9780789017871
• ISBN10: 0789017873
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-12-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Written in jargon-free lucid prose, this book specifically shows how positive early experiences enhance brain development and how traumatic life experiences, especially child abuse and neglect, can affect a child's brain and behavior. Through carefully selected case studies, it offers basic principles of treatment and a broad range of interventions that target the multiple symptoms and problems seen in children with a history of childhood trauma. Psychological Trauma and the Developing Brain: Neurologically Based Interventions for Troubled Children examines how interpersonal experience shapes brain development; what is going on in the brain during the critical first six years; how therapeutic relationships and interpersonal experience can promote emotional and cognitive development; how childhood maltreatment can damage the brain and impair the developing mind; what types of experiences and therapeutic strategies can mitigate the effects of childhood trauma; and what policy prescriptions, programs, and early intervention strategies can be implemented to promote healthy development. Susan Fielkow of Doody's Notes says, "AN IMPORTANT BOOK. . . . WELL ORGANIZED, WELL WRITTEN, AND INTERESTING. . . . An important perspective on the effect of psychological trauma on neurochemical development of the brain. It is comprehensive and evocative and leads to questions regarding the larger social impact of psychological trauma and how we should address it. I know of no comparable book."

Author Biography

Phyllis T. Stien received her BS in nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her MS in psychiatric nursing from the University of California-San Francisco. She has over thirty years of experience working as a child and family therapist, infant mental health specialist, educator, and consultant. Currently, she is working as a supervising therapist and as a mental health consultant for Head Start and Early Childhood Education programs Joshua C. Kendall graduated summa cum laude from Yale, receiving his BA in comparative literature. He also did doctoral work in comparative literature at Johns Hopkins. He has been a freelance health care writer and editor for more than ten years

Table of Contents

Foreword	ix
Frank W. Putnam
Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction	1	(6)
Overview of the New Neurobiology	7	(6)
Organization of This Book	13	(4)
Brain Growth and Organization	17	(22)
How the Brain Grows	19	(6)
How the Brain Organizes	25	(14)
Birth to Five: Factoring in Biology	39	(34)
Interaction, Brain Maturation, and the Stages of Development	40	(27)
Conclusion	67	(1)
Appendix: Charting Your Baby's Emotional Milestones	68	(5)
PTSD: Biology Impinging on Behavior	73	(24)
Identifying PTSD in Children	75	(4)
The Two Types of PTSD	79	(2)
The Psychobiology of PTSD	81	(15)
Conclusion	96	(1)
Complex PTSD in Children: Brain and Behavior	97	(36)
Child Maltreatment: The Scope of the Problem	98	(2)
Complex PTSD: A Psychobiological Syndrome	100	(1)
Brain Impairments Associated with Complex PTSD	101	(11)
The Effects of Maltreatment on a Child's Psyche	112	(20)
Conclusion	132	(1)
Healing the Brain: An Interactive Approach to Treating PTSD and Complex PTSD in Children	133	(50)
Therapeutic Goals: An Overview	134	(5)
Demystifying the Therapy Process	139	(2)
Stage One: Safety and Stabilization	141	(6)
Stage Two: Symptom Reduction and Memory Work	147	(21)
Stage Three: Developmental Skills	168	(7)
Adjuncts to Therapy: Reconnecting to the Body	175	(7)
Conclusion	182	(1)
Complex PTSD Compounded by Attachment Problems: Billy's Story	183	(20)
Children in the Child Welfare System	184	(2)
Introducing Billy	186	(1)
Analysis	187	(5)
Treatment	192	(10)
Conclusion	202	(1)
Early Experience and Psychobiology: Translating Scientific Advances into Policy Prescriptions	203	(26)
The Two Approaches: White House Conferences I and II	205	(7)
The Underlying Sociological Ills	212	(9)
What's Been Working So Far: Interventions to Build On	221	(2)
Principles for the Future	223	(5)
Conclusion	228	(1)
Notes	229	(4)
References	233	(20)
Index	253