Most adopted children and their families will, sooner or later, encounter the challenges of dealing with unresolved attachment issues or early traumatic experiences. New Families, Old Scripts is an accessible introduction to understanding these challenges and helping children and their families to develop a shared language and understanding of one another. Steeped in the experience of the authors, the book offers a wealth of practical guidance and intervention in a no-nonsense style that will be readily understandable to both families and the professionals who work with them. Case examples bring the issues to life, while sample letters addressed to the parent offer sensitive, jargon-free advice on the issues they are likely to encounter - whether it be dealing with anger and aggression, understanding sibling issues or how to react to sexualised behaviour. The authors also explain some of the theoretical background to trauma to encourage a better understanding of the relationship between trauma, attachment and development. The accessible combination of theoretical approaches and practical advice makes New Families, Old Scripts an ideal resource for social workers and adoptive or foster parents. Family Futures Consortium provides services for parents and professionals working with adopted and fostered children, including training and consultation for statutory and voluntary agencies nationwide. In their therapeutic work with families, they have evolved a unique intensive, multi-disciplinary approach to supporting children with attachment and trauma-related difficulties.

"Case study families are used to highlight challenges adoptive parents are likely to encounter, such as dealing with anger and aggression, understanding sibling issues, managing sexualised behaviour or living with a child who is 'too good'. Detailed explanatory letters addressed to individual families present the material in sensitive, jargon-free ways to help parents make sense of, translate and transform their children's puzzling behavioural communications: 'the language of trauma' learned in their birth families."--BOOK JACKET.

" ... A parenting book [that] demystifies the latest thinking on neurobiology, physiology and trauma, and explains what the research means for parenting children who hurt"--Cover, page [4].

Presents a selection of cartoons from the strip's earliest collections, as well as entirely new cartoons, accompanied by the author's commentary and photographs from her own life.

This concise book shows a new family-friendly way to compile a Life Story Book that promotes a sense of permanency for the child, and encourages attachments within the adoptive family. Joy Rees' improved model works chronologically backwards rather than forwards, aiming to reinforce the child's sense of security within the adoptive family.

Through words, pictures, photographs, certificates and other 'little treasures', a Life Story Book provides a detailed account of the child's early history and a chronology of their life. Fully updated, this clear and concise book shows a unique family-friendly way to compile a Life Story Book which promotes a sense of permanency for the child, and encourages attachments within new families. Joy Rees' influential model works chronologically backwards rather than forwards, aiming to reinforce the child's sense of belonging and security before addressing the child's past and early trauma. The book contains simple explanations of complex concepts, practical examples, helpful suggestions and includes some simple checklists. This new edition has been expanded to include fostered children and those living in kinship care or with a special guardian. Perfect for social workers, adoption agencies, adoptive parents, foster carers and kinship carers, Life Story Books for Adopted and Fostered Children is a refreshing, innovative and common-sense guide.

Filled with insight into theoretical foundations as well as practical suggestions for clinical practice, Rewriting Family Scripts is a valuable resource for family therapists of all orientations, attachment theorists, family theorists, and other readers interested in understanding and improving family dynamics.