Breaking the Silence: Art Therapy with Children from Violent Homes (Hardcover)

~ Cathy Malchiodi (Author) "During recent years, the area of domestic violence has received a considerable amount of attention from the government, mental health professionals, medicine, and the public..." (more)
Key Phrases: interventional goals, drawing directives, children from violent homes, American Psychiatric Association, Life-Size-Body Drawing, Resource List (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Goldman is an artisan in her writing, bringing together the gifts of author and therapist with the work of the listener to the story in ways that help us address issues and touch the hearts of children she writes about. Her book is a warehouse of resources on complicated grief as it is woven through life and through the lives of children. The insights are on target, and the help will enable us, as adults (parents and professionals), be more present in the story and feelings of children...This book is a must for your professional library and should be made available to parents and families. -- Resources Hotline, 2002 (The World Pastoral Care Center)
Breaking the Silence is a book that needs to be read by everyone concerned about helping children heal from one of lifes most tragic events. Goldmans experience and understanding of the issues and needs of children provides a solid foundation for parents, educators, and counselors seeking assistance. -- Donna L. Schuurman, Ed.D., Executive Director, The Dougy Center for Grieving Children
Linda Goldman is a well known international expert on educating children about life and death and treating childrens grief. This book helps us to understand childrens reaction to grief and their related therapy. -- Sam Ng, Ph.D., National Tawain Normal University
Breaking the Silence, 2nd Edition offers parents, teachers, counselors and anyone who works with or cares for children, clear methods for addressing the crisis of untimely, sudden, or socially stigamtized deaths. -- Karen L. Carney, RN, LCSW, Bereavement Program Director, DEsopo Resource Center for Loss and Transition, Author/Illustrator, The Barclay and Eve Series of Books for Children
If you need information on the toughest issues relating to kids: Suicide, Complicated Grief, AIDS, Bullying, Abuse, Homicide and others the Breaking the Silence is the book for you. This is a great resource. This book creates a dialogue around the most difficult topics and breaks the seal of silence in a practical and useful manner. It includes many very helpful techniques that aid you in both understanding the issues and, most importantly, helping you to help the children who need your stewardship. It also offers plenty of recommendations for further study both print and Internet. I cant recommend it enough. -- Tom Golden, LCSW, Golden Healing Publishing LLC
This is an informative book that truly is a testament to the authors knowledge and experience and her desire to provide others with the tools needed to help our most important population -- children. I recommend this book without reservation and commend the author for this exceptional work. -- Doody Publishing
The best materials I found for helping children experiencing death due to suicide or violence, wre from a medical agency which supports families in crisis and in Linda Goldmans book, Breaking the Silence. Breaking the Silence boldly identifies most of the sensitive issues regarding harm to human life, suggests that children be told in simple but factual terms exactly what has happened, and then provides useful steps for helping children in each situation. I have made use of Lindas advice both in training volunteers to be facilitators of grief support groups for children, and also when providing in-service to school professionals regarding children and grief. -- Paula R. Elliott, Bereavement Specialist, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh

Product Description

This volume demonstrates the power of art therapy as a tool for intervening with children from violent homes. Emphasis is given to the short-term setting where time is at a premium and circumstances are unpredictable - because within this setting, mental health practitioners often experience a sense of helplessness in their work with the youngest victims of abusive families.; In this new edition, the author describes the intervention process from intake to termination, highlighting the complex issues involved at various levels of evaluation and interpretation. The text is augmented with 95 children's drawings, which serve to fill the gap between theory and reality.; Specific topics include: inherent frustrations for therapists working in battered women's shelters; what to include in art evaluation; evaluating child abuse and neglect; group art intervention in shelters; and art expression as assessment and therapy with sexually abused children.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Brunner/Mazel; 2nd edition (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876308248
• ISBN-13: 978-0876308240
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #596,526 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thought-provoking and practical text that provides a framework for working with traumatized children., December 17, 1997

By A Customer

This text offers a solid framework for working with children who have been exposed to violence and who need to ventilate their concerns in a safe and supportive environment. With clinical skill and masterful teaching, Cathy Malchiodi provides an instructive manual that offers clear and informative information on how drawings can be used to help children overcome their negative life experiences. A significant contribution to the mental health field.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars outstanding resource in work with children, October 15, 1997

By A Customer

The author's extensive experience makes this an outstanding resource that provides the guided direction needed to give traumatized children the opportunity to find relief from the terrors of their traumas. A must for all mental health professionals who work with traumatized children. Readers in general will find the more than 90 drawings by children from violent homes both fascinating and poignant. Author presents the use of art therapy with clarity and simplicity,so that therapists can immediately learn the use of this tool in their work with children who have been abused.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breatking the Silence is only the beginning, November 9, 2006

By	L. Ramos (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book offers extensive knowledge of both the children's perspectives of their home life and shelter life. Working with this population is trying at best, one never knows if the mother is going back; because of this children learn to cope in ways that are mostly nonverbal. They've learned to stay quiet for the sake of family. Cathy Malchiodi explores this silence; in ways that, only art and other expressive therapies can offer. This book offers insight for new and experienced therapist who are working with this population.