Therapy is a critical element of work with abused children, offering them the opportunity to explore past experiences in a safe environment with the emotional support of a therapist. Reaching the Vulnerable Child offers a tried-and-tested model of therapy which employs play and expressive arts to foster verbal, non-verbal and symbolic communication in abused children and young people.Janie Rymaszewska and Terry Philpot explain how emotional, physical and sexual abuse affect children's development, looking in detail at attachment, separation and loss, and the effects of trauma on brain functioning. They offer practical guidance on preparing for sessions, creating a safe therapeutic environment and how to involve the child's carer in the process. Drawing on a wide range of therapeutic techniques, including play, movement, art, drama, music and therapeutic story work, the authors offer advice on addressing guilt, depression and low self-esteem, establishing trust and dealing with sexualized or aggressive behaviour.This thoughtful, integrative approach to working with abused children and young people will be greatly valued by therapists from a range of backgrounds, including psychotherapists, play therapists and arts therapists, as well as those responsible for children's services. It is an ideal accompaniment to The Child's Own Story, also in the Delivering Recovery series, which offers a similarly accessible account of using life story work with traumatized children and young people.
