"...anyone trying to parent a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder would find this book encouraging....It would give them hope..." --
Brenda Krause Eheart, PhD, Founder, Generations of Hope, review reprinted in The Jonathon Letters"A must read for professionals & parents, offering hope, encouragement; key principles that are important in parenting a troubled child." --
Kelduyn R Garland, PhD, LCSW, LMT"This journal...is real, full of meaning, emotion, hope, fear and doubt....gives parents a feeling of not being alone..." --
Daniel Hughes, PhD, author, Building the Bonds of Attachment: Awakening Love in Deeply Troubled Children, review reprinted from The Jonathon Letters"...anyone trying to parent a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder would find this book encouraging....It would give them hope..." --Brenda Krause Eheart, Ph.D.
"This journal...is real, full of meaning, emotion, hope, fear and doubt....gives parents a feeling of not being alone..." --Daniel Hughes, Ph.D.
...very emotionally damaged child... parents need to go on believing that their child has a good inner self... --
Phyllis B. Rubin, CCC-SLP, PsyD, Clinical Psychologist, Speech-Language Pathologist, Certified Theraplay Therapist, author; “Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy in Practice”This is a wonderful and delightful book that captures the struggles and successes of one family s journey to help a troubled child that leads to their adopting him. The book consists of a series of letters between the mother of Jonathan, Lori, and a sensitive, thoughtful, and astute professional, Michael, who provides support, ideas, and information to her.
Michael is helpful to Lori by providing support and knowledge, without becoming the family's therapist; they already have one. For example, when Lori writes a letter about Jonathan's crazy lies, Michael responds with the very helpful perspective that the child may actually have problems with cause-effect thinking so that, "But the very ridiculousness of it does raise the specter that the child honestly doesn' t see things the way the rest of us do", (pg.67). It is this ability to reframe behaviors in a way that helps Lori to feel differently and then act differently that is so valuable about Michael s support.
This book will be of value to both parents and professionals. It is touching, moving, and inspirational. As a professional, the book highlights how therapeutic and important it is to provide support for families. The book can serve as a model for how professionals can help families even when (or especially when) the professional is not providing psychotherapy.
Professionals will find a wealth of useful information and material to use with families. Families will find a wealth of information and material to help them in their journey. In our practice we are now routinely giving this book to families. The feedback we have gotten is uniformly positive, with families reporting that they don t feel so alone; they feel empowered. --Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D.
"This journal...is real, full of meaning, emotion, hope, fear and doubt....gives parents a feeling of not being alone..." --Daniel Hughes, Ph.D.
"...anyone trying to parent a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder would find this book encouraging....It would give them hope..." --Brenda Krause Eheart, Ph.D.
Michael Trout has been working clinically with foster children, with all members of the adoption triad, and with both adults and children who experienced early disruptions in attachment, for three decades. He is the Director of The Infant-Parent Institute in Illinois, and is a father, stepfather, and grandpa.
Lori Thomas is the mother of six children (three of whom are adopted), and a foster parent. She is the President and Founder of Hope Village, Inc., and an advocate and public speaker on children's issues. She lives with her husband, children and two dogs in northern Virginia.
