Supporting the Mental Health of Children in Care

Foreword. Introduction. 1.""I try hard not to scream"": Responding to the distress of children in care. Siobain Bonfield and Jeune Guishard-Pine, Child and Family Psychologists. 2. Children under 5 in care: what a shame! Christine Cork, Senior Primary Mental Health Worker. 3. ""Working with children in care who self-harm: Understanding coping, communication and suicide"". Sam Warner, Consultant Clinical Psychologist. 4. Drugs and alcohol as a form of self-medication from trauma and past abuse amongst children in care. Jeune Guishard-Pine, Child and Family Psychologist and Lisa Robinson, Children and Young Peoples Drugs and Alcohol Centre Manager. 5. Run run as fast as you can, you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man"": Siblings in care and 'safe therapy'. Olatayo Afuape , Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist. 6. Working with sexually inappropriate behaviour and incest. Tonie Lawrence-Mahrra, CAMH Practitioner and Transpersonal Therapist. 7. ""Can I go home?"" Art psychotherapy with foster children returning to their birth family. Eleanor Havsteen-Franklin, Art Psychotherapist. 8. The anarchy and the ecstasy: The therapeutic journey for Children in Care. Jeune Guishard-Pine, Child and Family Psychologist and Hannah Baron, Clinical Psychologist. 9. Professionalising Foster Carers. Jeune Guishard-Pine, Devinia Malcolm and Sheri Mosuro, Psychology Well-being Practitioners. 10. Therapeutic boundaries - or 'pass the parcel'?: Ethical challenges and boundaries. Suzanne McCall, Clinical Adolescent Counsellor. 11. The Illusion of individual psychotherapy for LAC: Integrated working as a 'kaleidoscope. Jeune Guishard-Pine, Child and Family Psychologist. 12. On becoming a mental health 'specialist' with children in care: a polemic. Zoe Lander, Services for Children and Young People. 13. Culturally-competent practice for children in care. Gail Coleman-Oluwabusola, Consultant Clinical Psychologist. 14. 'Safe therapy': Involving children in care in developing mental health services. Sidra Aslam, Educational Psychologist. 15. Kith and Kin: Providing a therapeutic space to kinship carers. Olatayo Afuape, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist. 16. Child sexual exploitation and multi-dimensional safety for children in care. Lucie Shuker, International Centre for Social Science Research, University of Bedfordshire. Conclusion. References. About the contributors.

I was deeply touched by some of the case material, and found much of the content of the book extremely thought-provoking in relation to my own practice.In chapter 11, there is a courageous and important discussion relating to integrated practice that is relevant to anyone working with children in a therapeutic way and which I found refreshing and positive. The focus on thinking systematically is not only relevant for working with children in the care system but, I believe, in working with all children. I would even go so far as saying that it should be recommended reading for all child and adolescent counsellors.