"What a refreshing book! In the age of managed care, Gil provides a clear and compelling argument for the importance of experience, compassion, and insight. Clinicians know that each child is unique, and a flexible, multidimensional approach to healing is what we need to be able to provide. Gil discusses how she has drawn from various schools of thought and therapeutic models to build a clinical workshop with many tools, and how she has learned to use the right tool at the right time to help traumatized children. I highly recommend this book to anyone working with children."--Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD, ChildTrauma Academy, Houston, Texas
"Gil artfully combines her own experiences as a play therapist with contemporary research findings to provide this practical, interesting guide. Beautifully told accounts of play therapy with young trauma survivors illustrate this thoughtful treatment approach, which integrates cognitive-behavioral, expressive, and family therapies. For practitioners as well as students, this book provides a helpful framework for individualizing treatment to fit the unique needs of each child."--Janine Shelby, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
"Gil brings more than 30 years of her rich and always evolving clinical wisdom, practice, and experience to this book. She offers us a truly timely and welcome overview of her insights on how to best help abused and traumatized children...Her approach is refreshingly integrative--a seamless blend of cognitive-behavioral therapies with interventions drawn from family, play, and psychodynamic modalities. The overarching emphasis is on the child's uniqueness, inner resources, and situational circumstances. Not only does she provide a sound theoretical context for each of the techniques she describes, but she also provides practical, detailed guidelines and extensive case illustrations as well. A must read for all child therapists!"--Leo Goldberger, PhD, Department of Psychology (Emeritus), New York University
"Using the same user-friendly style that I have appreciated in her previous writings and presentations, Gil provides helping professionals with a valuable resource that effectively combines theory, research, and clinical case examples. The readability of the text and the detailed use of illustrations that complement the material enhance the quality of this book and speak to Gil's reputation as one of the best in the field of child-focused family therapy."--Journal of Marital and Family Therapy
(Kami L. SchwerdtfegerJournal of Marital and Family Therapy20070401)
"Dr. Gil's knowledge, talent, and relentless compassion for the abused child is evident....I find Dr. Gil's work inspirational, practical, and theoretically sound. Her book provides an analytical basis for tailoring individual treatment plans and illustrates a balanced approach to personal care. It is my opinion that all professionals engaged with children impacted by any form of abuse and trauma must have this invaluable resource at their disposal."--Child and Family Journal
(Frank RipplingerChild and Family Journal20101215)
"This is a text for clinicians by a master clinician with many years experience in the field....A valuable text for those working in the field. It organizes many years of clinical experience and insight into a readable book. Its cost is modest for anyone wishing to increase their knowledge and skills in this area."--Child and Family Behavior Therapy
(Howard PaulChild and Family Behavior Therapy20070601)
"This is a very practical book, reasonably priced and conveying pearls of wisdom. It is written by an author with extensive experience who knows how to convey it effectively. Graduate students in child psychology will benefit greatly from the four case illustrations....4 Stars!"--Doody's Review Service
(Gary KaniukDoody's Review Service20021222)
"Serves to assist the therapist who desires to be fluent with multiple theories and approaches, while always respecting the uniqueness of each individual client and his/her family."--The Canadian Art Therapy Association Journal
(Betty Broersma BrouwerThe Canadian Art Therapy Association Journal20070101)
"Gil's approach extends beyond the mere integration of therapeutic modalities to focus additionally on the integration of empirically validated treatment approaches with techniques that have not received empirical support for their effectiveness....Gil provides useful practical guidelines, general principles, and goals for both assessment and intervention using the integrated approach model. The author also describes the expressive therapy techniques in such rich detail that the reader has an excellent understanding of the potential power of these therapeutic tools in their most nuanced form....The detailed case examples included in each chapter as well as the four in-depth case studies presented at the end of the volume bring the author's therapeutic approach to life in an informal and relatable way that proves to be both interesting and compelling."--APA PsycCRITIQUES
(Cindy Miller-PerrinAPA PsycCRITIQUES20070501)
"I recommend the book for those working with sexually abused and traumatized children. It would also be valuable for many social workers to increase their understanding of the need to separate play as an assessment tool and as a therapy to heal, and the appropriate sharing of information"--Children Now
(Monika JephcottChildren Now20070605)
About the Author:
Eliana Gil, PhD, is Clinical and Educational Specialist for Childhelp, Inc., in Fairfax, Virginia. She is also a partner in a private group practice, the Gil Center for Healing and Play, which provides mental health services to children and families for a variety of emotional, behavioral, and social problems, where she specializes in the treatment of traumatized children and their families. She is an adjunct faculty member at Virginia Tech's Family Therapy Department, a registered play therapy supervisor, a registered art therapist, and a licensed marriage, family, and child counselor. A well-known author, lecturer, and clinician, Dr. Gil has worked in the field of child abuse prevention and treatment for more than 35 years. She has published numerous books and videotapes on child abuse and related topics, has served on the Board of Directors of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children and the National Resource Center on Child Sexual Abuse, and is a former President of the Association for Play Therapy. Originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador, Dr. Gil is bilingual and bicultural. She consults and trains across the country and currently conducts intensive 3-day trainings through the Starbright Training Institute for Child and Family Play Therapy in northern Virginia.
Paperback, 254 Pages.
