Book of the Month July 2018

The A to Z of Therapeutic Parenting
Sarah Naish (2018)
Published by Jessica Kingsley
 
I work therapeutically as a Clinical Psychologist with adoptive and foster families.  I’m always on the look-out for resources that are accessible, quick to read, affordable and that make good practical sense. 

The A to Z arrived and I immediately loved the cover. 
It was also bigger than I expected. 

​I began by giving this book a first road test.  Would I be able to read it during the little time I have as a busy working parent?  I have so many books which don’t pass this test!  So, I checked whether it could be read in short snatches of time - during visits to the bathroom or while waiting outside school for pick-up time.  I covered a lot of ground quickly! 

The book is split into two main sections.  The first part contains just enough theory to explain important concepts such as ‘inner working model’ and ‘developmental trauma’.  It provides a simple, logical overview of therapeutic parenting, what it is and what it looks like.  It does all this, while also being realistic, kind and empathic about just how hard parenting a traumatised child can be. Even the font and writing style is friendly.

The second and main body of the book looks at common concerns, dilemmas and difficulties.  The topics are (of course!) listed from A to Z.  For each topic, the reasons for why it may be happening is explored, followed by strategies that can be used to prevent it, during it or after it has happened.  There is no ‘one size fits all’.  This book helps parents to be curious about their child and encourages exploration about what their child’s behaviour might mean and what the underlying need may be.  The strategies described fit well with Theraplay and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, two of my favourite interventions (because they are effective).   

This is a book that can be read at a calm and leisurely pace or, when needed quickly referred to in the midst of a crisis.  This book feels like adoption and fostering gold-dust.  I wish it had been around when I first began working with adopted and fostered children many years ago.  I’m recommending it to most of the parents that I’m supporting, along with social workers and schools. 
But, the real test of a book for therapeutic parents is to ask parents what they think of it.  They are the experts by experience.  Here’s what they had to say:

As an adoptive parent, I wish I’d this book from the beginning, when we first adopted our older sibling pair. It offers an invaluable, user-friendly guide to help parents / carers find ways to deal with their children’s behaviour but, most importantly, to understand where it is coming from. I would recommend this book to all adopters, foster carers and anyone else involved in the care of traumatised children. As well as being a very clear source of helpful, and much-needed, advice to parents and carers, the book is also very useful for dipping into and finding information to help others to understand, e.g. family and friends, as well as school staff and other professionals.

My criticisms, completely outweighed by the positives, are that there are certain, possibly minor, topics which I couldn’t easily find. Part of the difficulty is that we don’t all use the same words in exactly the same way. Also, some important themes simply run through the book, but are not included as separate entries in the A-Z. I think navigating quickly through the book would be easier if there were a contents list for the A-Z part in the printed version, as there is in the eBook. I also think an index would be helpful.

From an adoptive dad:  
I now understand why people are being so positive about this book. It is written in an easy to take in style and doesn't make you feel like you've done it all wrong again but offers simple advice about why some of the behaviours we witness exist. I can see us using this to dip into to support what we already know (and regularly forget) between traumatic events as well as using it afterwards, whilst crashed out in bed with the customary bar of chocolate and/or cup of tea, to explain why the latest meltdown happened. It would have been really useful to have had about 5 years ago!

And another adoptive dad:
As an adoptive parent I'm finding 'The A-Z Therapeutic Parenting' incredibly helpful and encouraging.  It's written in a friendly and accessible style, gives insight to the minds of children who have suffered trauma, offers tried and tested strategies for dealing with difficult behaviour, and is structured in a way which facilitates accessing the wisdom within quickly as required.  This book should be made available at an early stage to every adoptive parent!
 
Review by:
Dr Helen Rodwell
Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Co-author of Parenting with Theraplay
and Jane, Dave and Andy
Adoptive parents (experts in adoption by experience). 

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