Psychological Therapy for Paediatric Acquired Brain Injury Innovations for Children, Young People and Families The Brain Injuries Series

Children, young people and families living with an acquired brain injury (ABI), whether through accident, illness, injury or abuse, are rarely offered psychological therapy, and yet the benefits of such interventions can be profound. This important new book, providing a selection of practice examples and insights from frontline practitioners, will be essential reading for any paediatric therapist or clinician.

Beginning with a "life story" of the brain where emphasis is placed on how brain development is fundamentally related to its environment, the book offers key background knowledge before showcasing the core topics of assessment, psychological formulation and intervention. It features a range of therapeutic models, includes direct and indirect work, group work and family therapy, with settings varying from inpatient neurorehabilitation to community work and the transition to education. The long-term needs of those in the criminal justice system are also addressed. The closing chapters focus on the debate around effective outcome measurement and outline a vision for better services.

Elevating the voices of our children, young people and families living with ABI, this pioneering book will provide practitioners with the confidence to work collaboratively across a range of children and young people with disorders of consciousness or communication to those with behaviour that challenges others to manage. It offers new ways to understand both children?s pasts and their futures, and will be essential reading for anyone in the field.

List of illustrations

Editors’ acknowledgements

About the editors

List of contributors

Preface

Series editor’s foreword

Experts by experience reflections

INTRODUCTION

Jenny Jim and Heather Liddiard

PART I: GETTING STARTED
CHAPTER ONE
"My life story" by the brain

Jenny Jim

CHAPTER TWO
An introduction to paediatric acquired brain injury

Daniel Stark, Suresh Pujar, Isobel Heyman and Tara Murphy

CHAPTER THREE
Assessment in paediatric acquired brain injury

Suzanna Watson and Fergus Gracey

CHAPTER FOUR
Using biopsychosocial formulations in paediatric neurorehabilitation

Jenny Jim and Heather Liddiard

PART II: INNOVATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPY

CHAPTER FIVE

Narrative-inspired interview with the brain

Jenny Jim

CHAPTER SIX
Child-centred play therapy for trauma: from non-verbal to narrative expression

Anne Fullalove

CHAPTER SEVEN
Structured narrative therapy for children with severe acquired brain injury and severe communication difficulties

Alison Perkins

CHAPTER EIGHT
Systemic and narrative therapeutic work with families whose child has sustained a profound brain injury

Rachel Ames

CHAPTER NINE

Narrative approaches for behaviour that challenges post-injury

Esther Cole

CHAPTER TEN
The ‘Beads of Life’ approach adapted for young people with an acquired brain injury

Sara Portnoy and Liz Ireland

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Systemic storytelling following childhood acquired brain injury: a family business

Sarah Helps

CHAPTER TWELVE
Psychotherapy for children and young people with brain injury in conflict with the law

Huw Williams, James Tonks, and Simone Fox

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The road to transition: a SHARED model

Laura Carroll, Elizabeth Roberts and Gemma Costello

PART III: WHAT DIFFERENCES CAN WE MAKE?

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Reflections on outcome measurement in child neuropsychological rehabilitation: a child-centred approach

Katie Byard and Sophie Gosling

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Our children do deserve better

Jenny Jim, Heather Liddiard and Esther Cole

Appendix: Theory-practice links in "Narrative inspired interview with the brain"

Name index

Subject index

Jenny Jim (DClinPsy, MSc, BSc (Hons)) is a Consultant and Principal Clinical Psychologist with a passion for improving the lives of children, young people and families affected by acquired brain injury. Dr. Jim is the Deputy Programme Director (Clinical) of the Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of East London. She is a clinical academic who works with families, develops and researches innovations, lectures and trains clinical psychologists for the NHS.

Esther Cole (PsychD, MA (Oxon.)) is a Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist who worked in the NHS for 12 years in different roles and now works in the private sector across the lifespan. Her most recent position is within a community multidisciplinary paediatric therapy centre in South West London. Dr. Cole's therapeutic orientations and research interests are broad and include investigating the effective integration of psychological approaches for adults and children with mental health and neurological conditions.