Psychological Therapy for Paediatric Acquired Brain Injury : Innovations for Children, Young People and Families

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.

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.